Distortion
by Wolfkcing
Summary: A mini series picking up after the cartoon ends. Inside you'll find new and old threats, these parings JinxRaven, CyborgxBumble Bee, and only 200 calories!
1. Chapter 1

Don't hold your breathe for updates unless your trying to go to sleep for a looooong time. I'm very busy. Sorry.

Criticism is appreciated.

Teen Titans: Distortion

Chapter 1.

* * *

In a cloudless sky hung the sun. Under it, a city by the bay began to wake. As far as the eye could see where there wasn't water there was a man made metropilis. The almost muffled sound of traffic and birds difted to her ears. The young woman stood silently watching this world that was hers to protect. Mostly from itself. Her name was Raven Roth.

Raven had reached an unusual stage in life she once belived she never would. She was free! No longer did she live day to day in fear of a dark future that she was suppose to bring about. It once consumed her thoughts and tainted her persona, but now the weight of a planet had been lifted from her shoulders. Her father, the interdimensional demon Trigon, was gone. Destroyed, and she had been the one to do it; with a tremendous help from her friends.

It had actually been months since it happened, but every morning when she woke; she felt just as incredibley releaved and refreshed as the day her freedom began. She compared the missing pressure, the shackles of hibitation that once made her emotions her own prison, to a rushing river. It was endless and undeniable. It was there and would push its way across land, hills and mountains unhindered. A spectacular force of nature. But Like a river. It could still be manipulated. And her power still did require some observation. But the trade off was like highway robbery with Raven in the driver seat and ski mask. She was free!

And how would she spend her freedom? The rest of her life infact. She had long since decided that all the quirks and habbits the world had come to expect of Raven were part of her dominat personality and made no move to cast them off but she did however make an effort to spend more time with her friends. Which dragged her mind back to a current qualm. The team had expanded to include many superpowered youths from around the world. Youths the world called heros. But a joker had been shuffled into the deck. A wild card named Jinx.

It had happened so suddenly and in the midst of a chaotic world war of heroes and villians that no one seemed to have the chance to protest if they wanted to. And it seemed no one wanted to save for Raven. Was Robin slipping? How figgin easy would it have been for her to turn on them durring a vital moments of the final battle? To sell them up river? To do what villians do best?

And of course. Jinx obviously hadn't. It had been a month and Jinx was still around. It had been so busy afterward that she had no time to bring it up with Robin. So here they were. Jinx was a Titan. And Raven was still sore over it. but what was she going to do about? It had been weeks. Hadn't Jinx's probabation period ended? No. There would be no end to it until Raven was satisified. Besides. It was part of the dominat personality to never hold her tounge so next time she saw Robin she would give him an earfull.

* * *

"-and you're reinforcing the the Mayor's beliefe that we are irrisponsible-freakish-superpowered-children and not heroes," Bumble Bee said as she shadowed Speedy all the way though Titans Tower and up to the living quarters.

"Yes mam," Speedy said head low, fighting to control an impulse to snap back at his leader. Honestly. If no one was hurt, what was their to complain about? And who gave a damn about the Mayor? Just another fat politician working one day a week and telling other people not do what he was likely doing to his entire female office staff.

"So no more loopdy loops in the Titan East's Helicopter or landing on roof tops of your favorite pizza shops,"

"Yes mother," Speedy bit back. They entered the living room and immideatly located Cyborg. The large metal covered teen was was hunched down infront of the large tv. Other teenage heros were also scattered about the room. Jinx and Kid Flash were in the small kitchen. They looked like they were flirting and cooking something. Starfire was sitting on the couch smiling that innocent niave smile of hers. Speedy's eyes were glued to her for a moment. If Robin hadn't had a claim on her he'd be at her side making moves on that exotic alien girl.

Bumble Bee greeted everyone and gave Jinx a skeptical stare when the pink witch wasn't looking. Bumble Bee was still curious about her. Speedy, still sulking, ignored every one and took the parcel he was carrying to Cyborg.

"Cyborg." Speedy called. "Here's your stuff,"

Cyborg turned, stood and and grinned a grin that made the seventeen yearold look exactly ten years younger upon seeing the box.

"Aw yeah!" Cyborg hooted holding the box over his head. "It's finally here! Now I can save the world any time I want!"

'What do I have to do to make him look at me like that?' Bumble Bee thought, 'That's the strangest reaction I've ever seen to hardware for a computer unless- Wait a minute-'

Cybrog had quickly and carfefull opened the box. Then started tossing out computer chips and componets that Bumble Bee had thought were valuable. Not to Cyborg it seemed. They joined the packaging on the floor. Then out it came. A Playstation 3.

Bumble Bee's jaw dropped. "You brought us here for this Sparky?!" she shouted coming between Speedy and Cyborg.

"Huh? What's the problem?" Cyborg cried.

"I thought you called us here on official business. And I was just lecturing Roy here on fooling around." she said pointing at Speedy.

Speedy grinned finding it amusing whenever anyone but him was in the hot seat and decided to join Starfire on the sofa and watch.

"This is business Karen!" Cyborg excailmed. "Do you know what this is?" his vocie dropped as if speaking to loudly might harm it, "I didn't believe Roy when he said he got one," he said strooking the ps3 like a kitten. He even brought it to his cheek and starting make kissy faces at it. "And you know if he's going to bring it here she would need all the the best protection there is!"

Bumble Bee watched in disbeliefe at the level of emotion with which he assosiated this shiny black console.

"I'm talking to Robin about this," she said turning on her heal and storming off to find the Titan's leader.

"Karen! Aw come on!" Cybrog said begining to chase after her. "Speedy did tell you I requested you espeacially right?"

Bumble Bee turned upon hearing this and looked expectatly at Cyborg who had a pathetic pleading look in his eyes. Then at Speedy. Speedy wore an eye mask identical to Robin's meaning two large white patches hid the humor in his eyes. He, with his mouth a frim line, looked serious. He took his time in formulating a response just to enjoy watching the robotic teen sweat. He hoped it wouldn't cause him to rust.

A small eternity later Speedy nodded.

"Ah yeah. He asked me to get the best let's see uh 'hand to hand fighter and ariel combantant' and that was like A.K.A Bumble Bee." Roy said easily.

Bumble Bee looked at Cyborg. Who was nodding vigorously. She was touched by the kind words but she was still a leader and things were getting out of control.

"Well maybe I wont mention this particular incident . . . but this foolsihness is getting out of control so I'm telling him something."

"ThanksBee!" Cyborg said in one word and in even less time was back to drooling over the console. Gamestation what?

Bee grumbled something about this being the second time she had been passed up for a gamesystem and walked out of the room.

Speedy chatted with Starfire, all the while loathing Robin. It was ridiculous. He had this girl's heart. It was obvious to anyone by the way she talked about him and he wasn't reaping the rewards which meant Roy was stuck here able to look, not touch and know no one else was touching either. If Robin couldn't kick his ass from here to Tamaran he would give Starfire what he felt she was missing out on.

When Starfire left Speedy walked over to Cyborg who was on the floor physicaly but in the didgital world of Sony mentaly.

"Sorry about my mom Victor," Speedy said.

"Huh? Oh Karen? Ha ha! It's ok. I don't think Robin will get too mad if she does tells him."

"She sure likes to chew you out,"

"Yeah," Cyborg said only half listening.

"You see her hair? I can't stand it. It should be down," Speedy said commenting on the high double buns his leader's hair was always in.

At that moment, unbeknownest to Cyborg. Bumble Bee had creeped back into the living quarters that was now empty except for the three of them now. She was going to retreave Speedy but they were talking about her so she waited. What Bee didn't know was that Speedy knew she was there.

"Well Cy? You like em or what? Are they big enough?"

"Bee's buns? I like her buns." Cyborg said.

Speedy turned suddenly, urgently and Cyborg did too detecting his friend's sudden flare of tension. And both laid eyes on Bumble Bee who was standing there mouth agape.

Cyborg couldn't figure out why she looked so alarmed until he remembed what he had just said. It hit him like a steal beam. And he knew what that felt like so he was sure.

"Um-I-eh the buns you brought over for Christmas!" he said hastly.

"The buns I brought for the christmas party?"

"Uh . . . yeah?" Cyborg agreed hesitantly. His racing mind remembered buns among all the food at the last Christmas party. She was giving him a sharp stare that made him feel like one of the lobsters he boiled for said party.

Speedy was dieing of laughter inside but his poker face remained intact.

"I didn't bring buns! Maybe you got confused with who's buns you were checking out!" and for the second time that day she prepared to strom out.

"Wait Karen!" Cyborg called this time chasing her all the way out of the room.

Speedy finaly exploded with laughter.

* * *

And there she found him. The Titans teen leader standing infront of a large computer console barking out orders at various screens. Raven thought he looked like a kid with new toy having control over so many heros at once. He now protected half the United States from the tower. He wanted to try for the whole country but was opposed by every original Titan on the team. He'd overload trying to watch every thing. Half the country was already pushing it.

"You on that Kid Flash?" Robin was saying.

"I got it." the redhead responded and saluted. "It'll be over before it starts," The screen went bank. Robin sank back into his seat and began tapping his finger tips together.

"What is it Raven?" Robin asked with out turning to face her.

Raven was now searching screens that showed variuos important landmarks that were often the target of society's less savory citizens.

It brought another question to mind. It had been at least two weeks since she was face to face with any of them.

"Why haven't you called me to do anything?"

"I'm negotiation with you," Robin said.

"What?"Raven was puzzeled.

"I'm in the process of trying to convice you to take a vacation," Robin said stretching and leaning back in his chair. Smiling he rested his arms on the head rest. "I figured you wouldn't take one if I asked you to, so I put you on one,"

Raven quirked a brow. He knew her all to well.

"I hate when you pull this $#!+," Robin only responded by a slight parting of lips that revealed grinning teeth.

"And your other question has to be about . . . Jinx?" Robin stated.

"I thought I was suppose to be the mind reader."

"You must have realized by now that if she was goin-" Robin began to explain.

"Yes. But what I haven't realized is why you haven't done more to ensure that she has truely reformed and not going to switch sides again." Raven said.

"There is nothing more I can do about that. She may very well switch sides if the other side ever looks stronger or tempting enough." Robin said simply. "But so might anyone if you think about it. A backround check on every new Titan still wouldn't tell me what they'll do or think tomorrow. and she's not the only one ex-criminal fighting along side us."

"How can you operate knowing this?"

"Two things Raven. I plan to be a step ahead and as long as I am a step ahead, I can wager on that delusional thing called trust."

Raven was silent as she considered this.

Robin grinned a little more and began to drive his point home. "It could very well be that she dared to be something more than what she started off as. That she dared to be a hero-"

"Ok. I'm on vacation." Raven said turning to walk away. These same words he had said to Raven for spending her life simply hoping that she could be good if she simply tried hard enough despite her dark heritage. There had been no path of light. No indication that anything she did would ever change her fate. Should she go on believing a half demon child had a better chance of becoming good than a human?

* * *

It would be two more long weeks before Raven ever laid eyes on Jinx again. Both were still in town and Jinx was often at Titans Tower but they never ran into each other. Titans tower was always live with many other Titans these days and Raven was, for one reason or another, almost always out. Mostly she was spending time with the tot Titans Timmy, Teether and Melvin. She had read more books than she had probably read in her life in these two weeks and rode the motorcycle Cyborg gave her for her birthday. Jinx had actually become the farthest thing from her mind until she walked into the Titans gym one day and found herself alone face to with the pink nightmare.

Upon entering Raven froze, surprised before remembering the former criminal was now allowed to be here. Raven recovered, closed her slightly agape mouth and proceeded to a mat to stretch. She walked past Jinx as if she didn't exist.

Jinx watched her with something akin to uncertainty. This wasn't new to her. Many of the Titans didn't seem too interested in warming up to her. From what little she knew of this one, it would be an uphill battle of she wanted Raven's approval. Which was fine, because she didn't.

'What a bitch. No hi. How are you. or even a 'I wish you were hung up by your platform boots,' Jinx couldn't help but think. Jinx sighed internally and tried to dismiss the building animosity. 'I'll just finish my routine and be on my way,' she thought. Converting form super-criminal to hero had not been easy. There had been times when she just wanted to storm off back into the alleys where she'd find company in the likes of her old teammates. A number of her current allies had a thing about talking down to her. Then there were the "innocent" people they were protecting One had cracked her in the head with a brick after she saved him from a falling piece of building. She would have put him in a coma if Kid Flash hadn't restrained her. Her reaction was of course what everyone else focused on. The fact that she was only retaliating was lost in the mist of controversy over a hero getting ready to go left field on a civilian.

'If not for Kid Flash,' she thought gloomily. And who knew how long he'd stick around. There relationship wasn't anywhere near a fairytale ending. He was still just as sweet as when she had first met him but it seemed it wouldn't go any further than friendship. Or she couldn't let it. If he left her she didn't really have anything keeping her here.

"And I remember the time. You left for Santa Monicaaaaa . . ." Jinx hummed unconsciously. She could hear Raven change position on the mat where she was stretching. Jinx went into a hand stand and began to do push-ups in this position.

Raven, of course, was now an audience to her own thoughts about Jinx. She had forgotten all about the pink haired acolyte and was now combing her memory for her own resolution on how to deal with her.

'I still don't trust her. And I can't until she earns it,' Raven decided. Besides; Raven was not one to just go up and make friends with people she didn't know anyway, right? Why challenge this? It was part of the dominate personality.

Raven finished her stretches and proceeded to the punching bag. When Jinx saw this an idea bubbled in her mind. She should challenge the mage. 'Why the hell not? It seems I'll be going up in flames no matter what I do anyway.'

Jinx walked up to the punching bag that Raven was striking, standing next to it and locked eyes with her old enemy. Raven's hard look showed a hint of distrust and, if little else, brought amusement to Jinx. When she was bad, she had fed off negativity directed at her. The more bias the better. She had assumed that mentality went away with her former career but apparently not.

"Want a target that hits back?" Jinx asked.

"Fine," Raven said flatly and walked to retrieve a pair of blue sparing gloves. Raven was wearing a white t-shirt and black jogging pants with a white pin stripe going down each leg. Jinx wore a white tank top and grey shorts and also sported a pair of blue sparring gloves. Once the two faced each other both were reminded of the many times they had faced off for real.

Jinx was the first to strike; like a snake her right hand shot out and she stepped with it, putting her weight behind it. Raven pivoted on her right looking much like a door swinging open and countered with a series of strikes each of which Jinx dodged by merely shifting her upper body. She then shot out a side kick that caught Raven in the stomach.

"First blood!" Jinx cheered. The kick knocked Raven back. Jinx followed up with a double snap kick. Raven swatted the first foot away and caught the second. She pulled the foot toward her with great force then speared Jinx's unbalanced form to the mat.

"Damn," Jinx said, slapping the mat as both girls got to there feet. They fought for twenty minutes more with Raven leading in landed hits and Jinx slightly ahead in take downs.

"You just couldn't wait to get your hands on me could you?" Jinx said.

"You're a little reckless," Raven pointed out.

"Oh really? You sure your desire to knock me around has nothing to do with you leading in hits?"

Raven absorbed this for a moment while swatting away a couple punches from Jinx.

"I'm sure," Raven stated flatly. Jinx chuckled then collapsed to the mat exhausted. Raven just stood there staring at her. Burying this girl in the mistrust was getting a tad difficult. She didn't look anything like a threat. She looked . . . tired. Mentally tired. Fed up, perhaps.

"Nobody trusts me," Jinx muttered.

"Trust doesn't come easy to most of us," Raven said. "You could start by trusting others."

Jinx snorted uninterested. That translated to "do whatever we say and ask no questions."

Another silence and both girls were in their own thoughts again.

"Well what if . . . " Jinx began, "I trusted with something. With a secret." Raven looked at her but Jinx didn't meet her eyes. Jinx sat up and looked at her wrist.

"I-I'll be breaking up with Kid Flash, sinceidon'tlikeguys," Jinx said so quickly the words ran together, got up and left. Raven quirked a brow.

----


	2. Chapter 2

Teen Titans.

Distortion Chapter 2.

WARRNING! WARRNING! I have a beta reader. There is a reason I NEED said beta reader. But she's busy. So here before you us an unbeta read version of chapter 2. Please don't bug me about the errors. It doesn't help unless you want to send me a list of corrections and explanations. You can, however, critisize anything else. Go on! Rip it apart.

* * *

"Beast Boy. You take Cyborg. Charge him-" Raven was saying.

"Way way way way wait!" the green teenager cried throwing his thin arms in the air. "Why are you the leader? I have credentials too ya know!"

Jinx and Raven looked at each other disbelievingly.

"Ok." Jinx started out coyly. "We'll leave it all up to you."

"What? Me?! That's so much pressure! And you're going to be givng me a bum rap for the rest of my life if we lose."

"Fine then. I'll-" Raven started.

"Hold it! Maybe I can-"

"Shut it!" Raven growled. Beast Boy yelped then shut his mouth.

"Now. Beast Boy. Charge Cyborg then go airborne and stay there. Jinx, you take Robin and I'll get Starfire. When ever I call a name, both of you break off and attack that target. Ok?"

Jinx and Beast Boy aknoweleged with a nod then the three of them turned to thier opponents standing on the shore of Titan Tower's little island.

"Titans go!"

"I thought we were the Titans in this game," Starfire said hovering several feet off the ground. Below, Robin stood to her left and Cybog to her right. All were prepared to fight their comrades.

"I guess that makes us the badguy's then heh ha ha!" Cyborg shouted charging forward like a linebacker. A green Rhino was the first to reach him. Cyborg crossed his wrists just in time to block the green beast as it slammed into him. Cybrog freed one arm while holding the horn of the rhino with the other as it shoved him acroos the sand and prepared to charge his sonic cannon. An instant later Beast Boy turned into a crow and flew off just as Cyborg's cannon shot a wave of blue energy at him.

Raven flew after Starfire enveloping herself in a black shield as green dinner plate sized gobs of energy came raining down on her.

Jinx and Robin engaged in hand to hand combat. Jinx assulted him with punches and swift kicks but Robin parried them all.

"Robin!" Raven shouted. Hearing this Beast Boy nose dived straight for his leader. Raven also dived for Robin. In an isntant Robin was fighting all three while Starfire and Cybrog had to rush to his aid. Jinx acually caught Robin with a few kicks durring the three on one. Once Star and Cyborg were close, Raven shouted "Cyborg" and Jinx and Beast Boy broke off their attack and ran for Cyborg. Raven shot straight for Starfire now leaving Robin to chase them.

Robin grinned as he ran after them. Raven's strategy must be to play two or more on one until one of her opponets was taken out of the battle. Then it would simply be a matter of double to tripletreaming who ever was left. He quickly thought of a counter.

Jinx blasted Cyborg with a hex bolt causing the metal giant to fall face first. Beast Boy turned into a elephant in mid air over Cyborg and began to fall. Cyborg rolled onto his back and started to charge his cannon but another hex bolt caused his arm to whip in a new dirrection. The engergy stream hit Starfire. The alien was sent flailing until she crashed into Titan's tower. Raven only gave a brief glace to see why Cyborg had shot his ally then decided to press up her advantage and take out Starfire.

"Ah! Man! Starfire I'm s-" Cyborg began forgetting about the green Elephant until it fell on him.

Jinx laughed hysterically. The momentary distraction allowed Robing to kick her in the back sending her foward. Before she regained her ballance Robin was pummeling her with strike after strike until she was incompasitated. He then twirled away from the out stretched arms of a pouncing green tiger. It then becam a gorilla and began swinging down at Robin with it's massive fists. Behind them Cyborg realed to his feet. He had been down but not out. He provided Robin with support fire.

As Star hit the tower Raven summoned the metal covering the building causing it to come to life and bind Starfire. Starfire squirmed but could not free herself before Raven raised her ensnared form high above herself and slammed the Tamaranion to the ground thirty feet below.

Robin threw a freeze bomb at the green gorilla. The entire lower half of it's body begame encased in ice. Robin then delt the finishing blow to his oppnents temple.

"It was a good strategy Raven but it was a little too strenuous on your team.

"You talk as if you've already won." Raven quipped.

"I can do that because I will." Robin replied. He then hopped back and began running for cover as gysers of black energy shot up from the ground, the tops becoming large claws trying to grab him. Next was a rain of rocks. She errected a shield around herself to deflect Cyborgs cannon blasts. Robin hid behind a rock the size of a car. When Raven lifted that rock Robin was not behind it. She quickly began to toss it into the ocean believing the trickly little human was likey clinging to it and ploting to jump off it and onto her but as she tossed it Robin came charging from behind the rock neighboring it. Before she could defend herself he binded her with his grappling hook and yanked her down to his level. As she came in he delivered an elbow to her gut. The game ended.

"Boyah!" Cyborg said standing up and removing his vr eye piece. "And there we have it. Our first champions of the new virtual reality training center!" Behind him. All the other titans who had just been beating the hell out of each other were sitting on the Titan's horse shoe shapped couch wearing identical eye masks.

"Victory should be sour for you Cyborg. You still smell like elephant butt." Raven commented dryly. Beast Boy and Jinx started giggling. Cyborg frowned and sulked.

"This is great stuff Cyborg. Of course it still can't completly replace our training routines."

"Yeah." Cyborg said putting the VR stuff away. "Just a supplement."

Jinx watched the Titans begin to chat lightly amongst themselves feeling out of place. Not really part of the circle. She just happened to be there and had been brought into the game to even out the teams. Now she was in the backround again as the titans drifted back to there respective interests. She just sat there and waited for her one and only friend to show up.

Raven glaced at Jinx. Her head still circumventing with what Jinx had told her out of the blue the previous night. Right now, Jinx looked isolated. Before Raven could consider an action anymore Kid Flash walked in the door. He greeted every one warmly, especially Jinx. He chatted with Robin for a minute then sat by Jinx.

'He's in for it," Raven thought as she left the room.

* * *

'Not that it's any of my concearn,' Raven thought sitting by the window latter that evening watching the sun drop below the ocean. No matter how far her mind strayed it would come back Jinx. 'Why did she tell me that? What am I suppose to think or say? Hey. These things happen. If anyting . . . This means he's availiabe." Raven's thoughts took a hard turn. 'Not that I'm interested!' It was true however that she had noted how incredibly sincere Kid Flash was. She remembered now believing that scincerity was probably how how Jinx trapped Kid Flash's affection. That was when she thought Jinx was a wicked harpy. Now she thought she was just a poor isolated homosexual.

'Uhh . . . what would Starfire do?' Raven groaned rubbing her forehead. 'That's it! Maybe If I tell Starfire . . . Starfire can be her friend.' Raven considered. Even the niave Tamaranion didn't take much interest in Jinx but Raven was dead certin that was simply because there were too many Titans around the tower these days for Starfire to notice Jinx. Jinx did alway have Kid Flash on her arm anyway.

'How much do I tell Star? Jinx trusted me with her secret. And why can't I do it myself?' Raven wondered.

"So . . . how is it?" A voice broke her thoughts. She turned to its source and found Roy Harper. He stood hands be hand his back. He wore a smug smile. Raven picked up on current emanating from him that she did not like.

"How's what?" she asked narrowing her brows as this mental sent washed over her. To other people, it might have only been noticible in his tone and posture but to Raven it was about as subtle as as marching band in a church. This young man wanted her in the worst way.

"Playing for both teams. You're a goth right? All goth's are bi,"

Raven had been right but with her training she did not let anger be the first emotion to reach the surface.

"First of all I'm not a goth. Second of all they are not all bisexual."

"If it walks like a duck. Quacks like a duck then baby-" Speedy said still looking out the window.

"It could still be a goose."

"Speedy finally looked directly at Raven. His expression seemingly becoming one of concearn as his eyes read her expression.

"Hey hey! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause you any distress. In fact," he paused that smile slipped back onto his face. "I thought when I came over here I'd help you relax." and then the mist rose up over her again. His words may have been minced but what he wanted almost became an entity. To Raven's horror her first thoughts were not disgust at this handsome youth's one track mental pattern.

'Please tell me that's because I'm so well trainned and above such things.' Raven prayed. As Raven looked at Speedy prepared to respond her eyes started to drag in details. Short blond hair and an eye mask identiacl to Robin's. Masks had always captivated her. Especually ones that covered the eyes. Speedy had a slim tone build much like Robin and he was nearly as good a fighter. All atractive qualities. Suddenly all her reason became a troublesome tangle. There was a reason any selfrespecting woman was suppose to slap him in the face now. but It seemed like nothing more than barrier right now. Something about not presenting yourself as a sex object or other. It was a newsance right now.

Speedy's confidence seemed to grow as he watched her body language with his hidden eyes. He stunk of an intoxicating confidence. Another trait he shared with Robin. If she ever desired having Robin but wouldn't pursue him because of Starfire Speey was defenienly the next best thing. Wouldn't it be nice to let her hibbitations go and fall into those rock hard biceps. Letting herself go. Giving in-

"So . . . have you ever . . . relaxed before Raven?" Speedy asked.

"Yes. I have. His name is Edgar Alan Poe and even from his grave his words alone are a hell of a lot more relaxing then your third leg. Raven said standing and dissmissing herself.

Speedy grinned. Watching her go. This was only the begining.

* * *

"Elephant butt! Elephant butt! Ha ha! That's rich. Hey Cy, I always knew you'd get it . . . in the end. Ha! Get it?"

"Sometimes I really wonder why I hang out with you," Cyborg said as the two walked amoungst other carnival goers.

"Well Beast Boy we can at least give you credit for trying," Bumble Bee said. "Some people would rather take a pledge of silence then risk telling a joke no one laughs at."

"Heh. That's true," Cyborg said.

"Thanks," Beast Boy said puffing up his chest. "Wait did you just agree that I'm not funny?"

"Uh huh. And you just thanked me for it," Bumble Bee said. She and Cyborg started chuckling.

"Oh man," Beast Boy said stupping his shoulders and watching his freinds pull ahead of him. "The things a guy does for laughs." he then grinned and chased after them.

Cyborg and Bumble Bee trotted along in silence. Beast Boy had ran off to try one of the rides. Bumble Bee was enjoying the peacefull atmosphere. All the people around them seemed happy which was the way she liked it. No one screaming and running for thier life. No oversized automaton with a Judgement Day fixtation blasting at people. They passed a tunnel of love ride. Cyborg was rambling almost absentmindly about his car or maybe it was the Playstation 3. She wasn't really listening at this point. Her mind was painting scenes of being with her special someone. In every one of these scenes was one Victor Stone but in theses sets Victor Stone was gushing all over here. Filling her ears with heart warming promises of devotion. The Victor Stone in reality walking beside her now, was not.

She didn't know what else she could do to make him interested in her. He knew she was availiable.

'Maybe I should consult Raven and see if she'll read his mind for me,' Bumble Bee thought. 'What does he think of me? Just a friend?' bitterly Karen Beecher was believeing the answer was yes. She recalled with a glint of amusement her overreacting to what had been the only comment on her figure from Cyborg she had to chew on. He chased her spewing apologiezes and explanations. She had reveled in the attenion. Him trying so hard to stay in her good graces. She was almost didn't want to believe Cyborg and Speedy had actually been talking about her hair buns now as apposed to her real ones.

Watching the pair from atop a consestion stand was an portly young man. He sqauted down on the stucure and followed them with his eyes. Standing next to him was a slim man with a long pointed nose in a magician out fit.

"We are going to need a lot more muscule and maybe a miricle."

"God wouldn't waste a mircle on us. We're the bad guys remember?" the magician sqauked.

"Well then we'll need the devil's equivalent to a miricale," Control Freak sneered. "It's not bad enough that the city is swimming with Titans but it's all the wrong ones! Man! This is so annoying! We might cause a fuss and get all but the ones we want. This is soooooooo unbalanced!"

Mombo Jumbo could only nod in agreement.

"Alright. I'm done for tonight. Let me at some cotton candy!" Control Freak hooted hopping of the stand.

"What about Tribe?"

"I can't think on an empty stomach."

"Then your stomach must be always empty," Mumbo Jumbo said.

"Well when you come up with a way to draw out the right Titans with out getting you teeth kicked in, you let me know," the chubby man shouted back.

* * *

Her thoughts were restless. It was time to face them head on. Raven picked up the mirrow that would allow her into her mind. She consentrated for only a second before her body became a black strip of lighting that hurled into the mirror. Her dark room became silent after the mirror fell to her dark blue carpet.

Raven made her way across the twisted land forms that floated in the space like atmosphere looking for any changes. It didn't take long. Her eyes became fixed on a large, butt naked, yellow statue of Roy Harper.

Raven sighed casting her eyes away from it and grumbling. The statue stood with feet on either edge of a large pool of sparkling water. There were also mirrors suspended in mid air statigicaly placed to allow one to to view many more prpotions all at once.

"I disgust myself," she said approaching the statue.

"Ravy!" a cry came from behind her. Arms siezed her. Raven slipped her shoulder under one then bent at the waist causing her assailiant to come flying over head. There lying on her back staring up at Raven was Raven herself. Or at least the figment representing Raven's happiness.

"Why do you always do things like that?" the other Raven whinned.

"Why do you always do things like that?!" Raven said pointing at the statue of Speedy.

"Because!" the other Raven sang getting to her feet. She was identical to Raven save for the fact that her cape and leotard were pink. "She ran up to the brim of the pool and sat down. She looked up at the statue with admiration. "He makes us happy. Excited."

"Every guy that takes an interest in me excites you Fuchsia," Raven said flatly crossing her arms. Every figment of her personality looked like her save for a differnt color outfit. Raven had named them.

"Excites us," The pink Raven corrected.

"Don't correct me when I'm talking to myself,"

"Go to him Raven! We want the warmth." Fuschsia said leaning on the satue's leg and began sensually rubbing the the well developed calf and shin. "His love,"

Raven turned her hooded head away from the sight. Fuchsia's desire was affecting her.

"Harper isn't offering love right now. Maybe when the muscle in his head grows bigger than his favorite one."

"Then it has a lot of growing to do if it's even going to catch up," Fuschia said looking up at the statue and giggling.

Raven closed her eyes. Letting her convictions wash over her and drown out Fuchsia's want for a mindless lustful romp.

"Your proportions are off. It can't possibly be that big," Raven said still not looking at the statue.

"Until you bring us proof of the contrary I have no choice but to use my creative interpatation," Fuchsia defended.

"Not if I remove temptation," Raven said her eyes blazed white. The Statue came crumbling down. Fuchsia hopped off the pool's edge and backed away watching the clumps of yellow rock fall into the pool. Next the floating mirrors followed.

"Awww." she whinned. "We don't want to wait any longer. How long will you make us wait?"

Raven fought back an urge to agree.

"There is no hurrry. Remember at one time we believed such pleasures would never be ours. We can afford to wait." As Raven walked away three other figments came to see the commotion. They were the green Raven, Emerald, the orange, Vermillion and grey Raven Pewter.

"Awsome! Let's do it again," the green Raven shouted looking at the destroyed statue. She then did some kung fu punches and kicks at the air for no apparent reason. Emerald happened to be Raven's brave side and also over saw her fighting spirit.

Fushia looked at Emerald.

"I was trying to convice Raven to be with him," Fuchsia said.

"For what? Combat practice?" Emerald asked.

"You could say that," Fuchsia said wrapping an arm around the green Raven. Maybe if she could convince a couple of Raven's other emotions to see things her way she could get what she wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey people! My beta reader is still busy so here's another un-betad story. Thanks for reading.

* * *

The colors of daylight crept into the city as they did every morning. Buildings stood mostly alone with out the company of their creators. Streets were vacant. This was the most peaceful time of day to Raven. There were, of course, a couple faces here and there. They were probably getting an early start on the day or just heading home from a third shift. But mostly it was just her zipping through the man made maze on her motorcycle. Her serenity was suddenly cut short. A flash of something she couldn't make out replaced her vision for an instant. It happened as she passed the mall and looked at a young blond woman. The woman had smiled at Raven and Raven, trying not to be rude, returned a faint one while struggling to uncover the reason behind this warning. She pulled her bike to a stop in front of the mall while taking in her surroundings. She could see nothing out of the ordinary.

Again and again her eyes scoured the area but she couldn't see anything exept the blond woman now walking into the mall. Raven had only had this sensation a couple times in her young life and each time it preceded some major calamity. Last time she was unable to make sense of the warning in time to do anything about it. That time had been about Tera's betrayl. Yet this time there was no one to set off the warning. Sighing, she parked her bike around the side of the building and walked into the mall. Thoughts were still in a spin cycle as she entered.

She sat in the closet seat which happened to be part of the Mr. C's food court. The place was almost vacant but she could hear the sounds of shutters opening and dollies toting goods in the distance. The blond woman was sitting there at another round white table with coffee before her and a news paper in hand. For seven minutes Raven sat there analyzing what little she could make out from the image that had just visited her thoughts. At this point the blond woman had abandoned her news paper and was now standing next to Raven's table.

"Hi," the woman greeted.

"Uh, hey," Raven said.

"May I sit with you?"

Raven blinked and nodded almost absentmindedly.

"Aw. Thanks," The woman said sitting and looking directly into Raven's eyes. "I had always wanted to write a paper in college about wether or not it is becoming more and more difficult to make friends of complete strangers in our society. Never got around to it. I suspect Americans as a whole are becoming more divided than ever."

"Oh . . ." Raven said still a bit dazed by the woman's sudden presence.

"I'm Randy Kandel. She said reaching a hand over to Raven. The instant Raven touched her hand she saw the flash again. That same image from earlier. But it was gone in a nanosecond.

"Um . . . Rhonda Ella Roth." Raven lied while shaking the strangers hand.

"How's life Rhonda?" the woman asked with interest. Raven could see this was a smart woman. Her interest was indeed an attempt to strike back at man's current obsession with isolation as she saw it.

"I can't complain. I work. Been considering what classes I want to take next semester."

"And riding your motorcycle. It's a nice bike."

"So was the guy who gave it to me."

"Well that's great. Was it a special occasion?"

"My eighteenth birthday," Raven lied again. She was actually seventeen. "It was . . . nice."

"Nice huh?" Randy said seeming humored at Raven's dead pan level of enthusiasm.

"Yeah. Sorry. I don't do that valley girl-near-orgasm-pitch excitement level when I talk no matter how happy I am. Maybe I could assign a number from one to ten with my comments though. The bike was an eight." Raven stated.

Randy laughed heartily. "Understood Rhonda. You know I should have probably pointed out that I will only be Randy Kandel for another month," Randy then showed Raven what had to be and engagement ring. In that instant, the flash stuck her again. She didn't even pay attention. Her mood had suddenly gone awfully sour and strangely enough she knew it was directed at Randy's fiancee. What sense did that make? She knew nothing of this man. Raven commented on the ring and tried analyze this irrational train of thought.

'How do you dislike someone you've never meet?' she kept asking herself. Is this a warning? Is he a threat to her?' Raven figured unless he strolled in right now she'd never know so her eyes focused on Randy for a time. A gorgeous, intelligent, well figured woman. Blond and blue eyed like you imagined and angel. It was too bad she was engaged. 'A good girl like her obviously wouldn't drop him for a me . . .'

Raven took a sharp intake of breath. Shock painted on her pale face. Who had said that? Someone had whispered something in her ear hadn't then? Something like . . . oh Randy has a nice ass. It was some single-minded, male, adolescent that had walked by right? Raven whipped around but the place was as scarce of people as it had been when she first walked in.

"Rhonda are you alright?" Randy was asking.

"I-I- yeah." Raven said settling.

"Are you sure?" Randy asked.

"Yeah. Please. Continue. You were saying. About urban sociology?"

"Well. Ok. But if you ever really want to tell me what's happening-" Randy offered sympathetically.

"Sorry. Don't worry about it ok?"

Randy shook her head with a smile. "No. I'm going to worry until I know what it is."

'That makes two of us,' Raven thought.

Raven stood up then regained her air of confident indifference. She could see that Randy had already taken a shine to this aspect of her personality. That glowing look in the other woman's eyes, however, was actually chipping at it now. Those shining blue orbs were making Raven almost bashful.

"Time is getting away from me," Raven said stealing a glance at a large clock on a pillar. Those eyes were still on her. Her insides were changing from a mostly solid state to a more jelly like one. Damn it.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Did I keep you too long?"

"Oh. I should be ok. I'll see your around ok?" Raven said grabbing her keys from the table and beginning to stride away.

"Sure." Randy said with a nod. Raven then made a hasty exit.

* * *

Next morning.

She was surround by darkness. Black in all directions. It was comforting. There was nothing there and there fore nothing to cause her trouble. Nothing to vex her mind. But suddenly a pressure hit her shoulder all at once. She moaned. The pressure was taken away but returned in an instant. It struck her two more time before a wail accompanied it.

"Rav'n! Rav'n! Get uuuup!" Raven moaned and turned over in her blanket. Standing beside her slumbering form was a four year old. She turned and dropped all of her weight onto Raven's back. The girl, Melvin, rose in spot and prepared to do it again but Raven shot up to a sitting position and through her blanket over the child. Raven then dug her fingers into what she assumed were Melvin's sides and tickled the blue form sitting in her lap.

"No haha hah ah fa-r! R-n!" The little girl cried between laughter.

"You need to expect anything if your going to attack someone," Raven, said flatly.

Later Raven was sitting on the Titans couch watching over the tot Titans. They were watching a Disney movie right now. Raven's concentration constantly drifted back to Randy and her new problem. How could this have happened with out her knowing? Was she really attracted to Randy? She really should consult the counsel of emotions in her head. Could any one or more of them have had any knowledge of this? She should have gone as soon as she got home yesterday. She should go right now! but she was scared.

* * *

"Hey," Jinx said almost tonelessly as kid flash walked up to her. She was sitting at an outdoor food court.

"Hey," kid flash greeted back with a small smile. Upon further inspection he noted that Jinx looked troubled. It seemed like the wind was blowing now and though it wasn't it seemed like the air was telling him something. Telling him what was about to go down before it did. They called this sort of thing premonition, didn't they? Jinx wasn't even meeting his gaze now. This was not good. In fact he knew what she was about to say. Some how it was so obvious. What wasn't nearly as clear was why it had come to this.

"So . . . " Flash said watching her for reaction. She still wasn't ready to look at him and he still did hope that he was wrong about what he would ask next. "You wanna call it off?"

Jinx went stiff. Her head snapped up and her eyes locked with his. He had basically read her mind. She didn't think it would come out like this. She could see the hurt and disappointment in his eyes. It was strange. After all the bad things she had done in her young life she didn't believe she had ever hurt someone this bad or would ever regret it this much.

"I'm sorry," she all but croaked and wanted to smack herself. That was all she could say? That would make it better? Sorry was what you said when you knocked over someone's drink. She had someone's heart firmly pressed with the point of one of her high healed boots to the concrete street. Sorry wouldn't cut it.

"Hey." Kid Flash cut in lifting his arms thoughtlessly not seeming to know what to do with them. "It's cool. I-I could- see it wasn't going anywhere," his voice broke on several words and it was an effort to finish the sentence. Jinx was hating this situation more and more by the second.

"It's not just that. I'm gay," she blurted out. She had no idea how that was suppose to help the situation. Kid Flash's lips parted slightly and he stood staring silently until Jinx tore her gaze from him.

"Hey. . . " he said finally.

"You can hate me if you want," Jinx offered, "I think I could handle that. Just-"

"Hey." Kid Flash said stepping toward her and wrapping his arms around her, "I could never hate you," he said soothingly. At this point the tears began to spill from Jinx's eyes. This was the last thing she allowed herself to expect after her big revelation.

Kid Flash pulled away to look her in the eyes.

"You just caught be by surprise with that last part but it's cool. It doesn't change anything. You're still a good person and that's why I wanted to help you in the first place. Remember?"

"I don't feel like a good person right now-" Jinx muttered looking away. Kid Flash actually chuckled.

"Come on Jinx," Kid Flash said sitting her down at the table. His friend was in trouble and he had to keep her from sinking in it. These thoughts were like a freight train in his mind now. He had wanted her of course. but he realized earlier it didn't seem to be working and now, knowing that she was a lesbian, he realized it had been over long before it started.

"It's ok Jinx. Really." Kid Flash said holding her had.

"I don't deserve you," Jinx said wanting to bury her head in her hands. She was sure she hadn't cried since she was about three. She had now broken her twelve year streak.

"Well if you don't, who does? Brother Blood? Slade? Should I be giving them hugs and pep talks?" He grinned and she did too though she tried not to.

* * *

In further effort to avoid facing a looming life changing truth, Raven joined Cyborg on one of his treasure hunts.

"Ooooooooo look at that! Do you know what I could do with that?" the metal man wailed.

Raven didn't bother to answer as she watched him dart from one old junk car to another pointing at things and squealing like a big, oversized, cybernetically enhanced child.

"I can't believe somebody would through this away!" Cyborg said. In his arms were piles of car parts. "They are crazy!"

"This from the guy carting a sheer ton in his arms like pillows," Raven quipped.

Cyborg laughed. Raven smirked but her eyes were distant. Would he still laugh if he knew she was probably gay? Would things be the same?

"But look Raven. I got a starter that is perfect for the Mustang. And I finally found a good alternator for my 63."

"Great." Raven said smiling faintly.

"What's wrong?" Cyborg said.

The question caught her off guard. Cyborg with both his mind and body in his little mechanics paradise was about the last person she thought would pick up un her troubles.

"N-nothing." she said turning away pretending to take interest in a rusty old Volvo.

"Come on Raven." Cyborg prompted.

"Did I tell you why I like coming here?"

"Uh huh." Cyborg said nodding.

"They look like lost potential. Junk to the eyes of most. But people like you can bring them back to life. Revitalize them," Raven said looking upon the rows of rusty cars standing on their rims in order to make stripping them easier.

"Sure can word it Raven," Cyborg said nodding thoughtfully, "So . . . how does this tie into what's bothering you?"

"It doesn't really," Raven said walking away. "I was just distracting you and changing the subject."

"Aw hey. . . " Cyborg said preparing to follow her.

He would not get his chance to ask what ailed her again. An explosion sent a door less Toyota Camry flying in the general direction of his head. Cyborg dropped the parts he was carrying to catch it. He laid it to the side and saw that Raven was already running towards their attacker.

"HA HA HA HA HA Titans! Did you really think you had seen the last of me?" a portly young man asked standing on top of a dodge pick up.

"Not at all Control Freak. We see you every night on America's dumbest criminals," Raven said closing in and preparing to strike with a haymaker, but Control Freak rolled off the car and started to run. As Raven chased him he turned and pointed his tv remote in her direction. One click and the car next to her formed arms out of it's doors and grabbed her.

"Autobots Transform! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Control Freak howled with laughter and began brining all the cars around him to life.

"How the hell is he doing this?" Cyborg wondered as he charged shoulder first into the one holding Raven. It released her as it went flaying into the distance.

"Thanks." Raven said as she got to her feet.

"Thank me when we're done,"Cyborg said looking around as the army of "autobots" surrounded them.

Raven smirked and raised her arms above her head. Her eyes flared white as she chanted her spell. Half of the enemy army turned pitch black. She had merged with them just enough to control them for a moment. A moment it which she would fling them together all at once.

"Azarath Metrion . . ."

Control Freak looked a bit perplexed.

"That's more than I thought she could grab at once. Must update my data base. This may get harder than I thought." he thought out loud.

"Zynthos!" she screamed and ten robot-cars became one massive scrap pile.

Cyborg by now was attacking the others. He blasted and traded blows with two as more circled him. He ran behind the one he was currently beating on and blasted it's head clean off. It fell on one of the approaching mechanized monsters.

Raven had moved in to help assist Cyborg.

"Damn it! They are doing to much damage to fast," Control Freak panicked, "I don't know If I'm going to be able to pull this off," he shook his head doubtfully, "Oh, how I hate to repeat myself! Forgive me cliche hating gods and my otaku brothers!" he said covering his eyes and bringing even more cars too life.

"I better do this quick," he said and began tip-toeing towards Raven while her back was turned.

"Give me a sec will you Raven?" Cyborg asked his comrade.

"You got ten," Raven said making a bird out of her dark energy and sending it through the chest of an attacker.

"Yo Robin. We could use some back up here," Cyborg said into his communicator.

"I'll see what I can do. My hands are kinda tied right now." Robin said quickly searching his computer for Titans close to Cyborg's location.

"Why? What's going on?" Cyborg asked.

"I'm getting multiple reports off attacks all around the city. It looks to me like they are likely distractions but what I don't know is which ones might be real targets.

That's Robin. Cyborg thought. Always at least three steps ahead.

Just then a blur of red and yellow tore past him faster than lighting. It then shot up and zipped back and forth between a giant car-robot and the ground. Each time it touched the ground another chunk of the machine was laid there until there was just a display of car parts and Kid Flash. Standing next to him was Jinx.

"Damn!" Control Freak cried, " Now or never. He dived off a bus and onto Raven's back. As they fell he slapped her hard on the center of her collar bone with a small vial. It smashed releasing a lavender mist that she couldn't help but inhale. The too hit the ground then. Control Freak got up and began kicking Raven who was now slipping into unconsciousness. He stopped to scream into his communicator as the other Titans noticed him.

"Get me out of here you hack magician!" Control Freak demanded. The other Titans were now headed straight for him. Just before Kid Flash reached him a door appeared and Control Freak was pulled through. It closed and disappeared.

Kid Flash blinked at the space the villain once occupied for a second then turned his attention to his fallen comrade.

"Hey! Raven? You there?" Cyborg said leaning down and raising her head and back with one hand.

Slowly her eyes fluttered open.

"What hit me?"

"You might be happier if I didn't tell you," Cyborg said thinking of the portly Control Freak. Who would want to know they had been taking out by that geek? "You ok?"

"Yeah," She said rubbing her eyes,"Just blacked out."

"Any idea what brought this on?" Kid Flash asked Cyborg.

"No. He just attacked us out of the blue."

Raven looked at the sky almost drunkenly. The voices she heard were starting to sound farther and farther away. She felt like she was in her body and at the same time above it. Floating away from it. She then slipped back into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

Distortion chapter 4.

Another Un-beta chapter. I think my friend will beta this time but I'm putting this up for for those who were waiting and replace it with the better version eventually.

I got hit by the longest streak of writer's block I have ever had! But I'm all better now. CRITISIZE! You won't stop me from writing as I don't really consider myself a writer anyway. Just a guy with ideas sometimes . . .

* * *

Raven's consciousness rose from a black smoke. Slowly her eyes opened. She was surrounded my images off herself. The only difference was the color of the capes and cowls they wore.

"You ok Ravy?" Fuchsia asked getting so close that their noses touched. Almost instinctively, Raven shoved the pink figment of her happiness away. Fuchsia stumbled back and landed on her rear. Raven, meanwhile, looked at her hands and wondered exactly why she did that.

She stepped out of the circle of figments and examined her surroundings trying to find some familiarity. Nothing seemed familiar. Somehow she expected that she should be alarmed, but the emotion didn't come. The other Raven's watched her curiously. The yellow Raven appeared in front of her and looked at Raven closely.

"Ahhh . . . she has some kind of amnesia. Short-term. Likely a side effect of the potion Control Freak used on us." the yellow Raven, Ambur, said. "Do you know your name dear?" she asked.

"Raven," Raven snapped as if it was the dumbest question.

"Do you know my name? Or where we are? Where we are from?"

Raven's expression was one of blank confusion.

"I see. It is selective," I suspect we still have yet to see the true intention of this mysterious potion-"

"Raven has amnesia?" the pink Raven said shoving the yellow Raven out of the way. "I must begin re-educating her now! First of all, we are a madly in love with Roy Harper-!"

"No you won't." the yellow Raven said straitening her glasses. "We have to let it come back naturally. At least for now. It probably won't be long."

Raven's figure began to fade at this point.

"It seems she is waking."

"Aw! But she just got here!"

Before more was said, Raven faded completely. The next thing she saw was the ceiling of the medical room in Titan Tower. She just stared at it for a while. Slowly she sat up, slipped off the bed and made her way to the door. The place was familiar. Memories came and went. This is Titan's Tower. A group lives here. Was it her family? No. No blood relations.

She strolled into the large living quarters. It was dark. Light came only from the large windows. Street lights defied the darkness that would have other wise drown the landscape. She moved towards the couch. Her eyes were wide and her expression was one that hungered for answers. She sat and was surprised to find that she had parked on a lump. She was more surprised when the lump cried "Ow!"

Raven hopped up and examined the form that moved. It was young girl. Hair so bright pink that she could make it out in the dark. Stood up like horns.

None of the details seemed familiar.

"What's the big idea?" Jinx asked looking around. Her eyes stopped on Raven.

"Hey," Jinx said then waited for a reply. Raven just stared at her blankly. "You ok?" Jinx asked.

Raven nodded slowly.

"Is there a reason you decided to sit on my back?" Jinx asked. Raven blinked and her mind raced for an answer. Who was this girl? She apparently knew her.

"I-" the sound of Raven's own dead-pan voice startled her. Even it sounded foreign.

"Hey maybe you better sit down. Not on me this time though, huh?" Jinx said standing and motioning Raven to sit. Raven did so. "That's right. You got knocked out in the battle today. Have you been up since?" again Raven just stared at the girl. "Don't you remember? Do you remember who I am?"

Raven looked at Jinx for a moment then shook her head.

"Are you serious?" Jinx became alarmed. Was she worried about her Raven wondered? Was Jinx one of her friends?

'What do I do? What do I do?' Jinx thought franticly.

"Stay calm," Jinx said to Raven but the command may have been meant for Jinx herself. "Hey? You want something? Water?" she walked into the kitchen and came back with a glass of water. She started drinking it as she thought over her dilemma.

"I thought that was for me lady," Raven said flatly.

"Oh, oh right!" Jinx said nearly falling forward to give Raven the glass.

Raven looked almost bemused and accepted the glass. Jinx returned to her deep contemplation.

"Who am I?" Raven's voice broke the silence. Jinx's head snapped up. She looked a little surprised.

"You are . . ." Jinx paused to think about the question. "I don't really know." She noticed a small amount of alarm enter Raven's expression so she quickly added, "Well I'm new here ya' see. In fact, only a couple months ago we were enemies."

Raven raised her left brow.

"Yeah." Jinx said looking at the ceiling distantly. "I changed sides. I don't really know you. You kind of keep to yourself. Even when you are with your closest friends you kind of have them all at a distance from what I've seen."

"Why?" Raven asked and Jinx started to think that was a joke. Maybe she didn't have amnesia and was out here just pulling her leg. At 3am? Another glance into Raven's eyes dismissed the idea. While they still held that calm, indifferent gaze they also gave the feeling of someone lost.

"Guess it's just you." Jinx said rubbing the back of her hand. "You have this room that you never let anyone in. When you're not fighting crime I usually see you reading or making fun of people."

Raven turned back to look at the hall wondering where this room was.

"You want to see it? Hey that's a good idea. You might remember stuff. If you don't you could always go to sleep."

"At this hour?" Raven said almost whimsically and it took Jinx a second to realize that that was joke.

"Heh. Yeah. Like that. You were always leveling sarcastic shots at people," Jinx said as she walked Raven to her room. It took her a moment to find it since she was not that familiar with the halls of Titans Tower.

Raven looked at the door with her name on.

"Raven?" Raven asked aloud.

"Uh. Yeah. That's you."

Raven opened the door and peered inside. She walked in slowly and stood there. She then turned to Jinx.

"Well are you coming in?" she asked the other girl.

Jinx was puzzled. "You want me to come in?"

"Is there anyone else out there?" Raven quipped.

Jinx shrugged and walked in.

"Well I'm just saying. This is breaking from the norm for you." Jinx joined Raven in the middle of the room and both looked around.

"Ok. What's up with that?" Jinx said pointing at a row of DVDs on a shelf built into the headboard of the bed. "Half of them are kids' movies!"

Raven looked at the unfamiliar titles. "Shrek, Monster's Inc. Ice Age 1 and 2." None of them rang a bell.

"They are all those computer animated movies too," Jinx said now sitting on Raven's bed and looking through the DVDs.

"Is this a big deal?" Raven asked. No sarcasm this time Jinx noticed. It was general interest.

"Oh, no. I just never thought you were the type. It's kind of . . . cute. You got to admit they stick out in this room were everything else is so-"

"Dark, Gloomy, Gaudy." Raven targeted everything in the room with her eyes.

"Yeah. That's you." Jinx said. Raven was silent. Jinx wondered if Raven might be disturbed by her own room. "Hey. You could always paint it pink,"

Raven made a sound that sounded something like a cynical chuckle.

"It'll probably seem like home when your memory comes back though." Jinx added.

"Ya know . . ." Jinx said "You have DVDs but no DVD player or even a TV. So I guess you watch these in the living room, huh?"

"Nice work detective." Raven said after a pause.

Jinx grinned. "So Do you remember anything?"

". . . no . . . "Raven said and frustration was becoming evident by this point.

"Hey uh . . ." Jinx started feeling awkward. She stood. "Why don't you get some sleep? It might help. And if it doesn't, you have a tower full of people to help you."

Raven sat down on her bed and nodded. She looked at the floor but her eyes were distant. She was trying to see into her mind.

"Ok. I'm going to go now." Jinx said making her way to the door.

"Uh . . . thanks for helping." Raven called to her. Jinx stopped and there eyes meet.

"Sure." Jinx said and walked out closing the door behind her. She stalked into the living room but each step did not feel like that of her own feet. Jinx had been thanked. Jinx had been thanked for helping someone. This was a first. If it had ever happed any time before she became a career criminal then she had no memory of it. Not even Kid Flash had thanked her for anything. Not that he had any reason to. She never really did anything for anyone. It made her feel strange.

Jinx lied down on the couch thinking about Raven's condition then how long this feeling was going to bother her. She simply hadn't been thanked for anything before and it made her feel like someone else. She felt as if she might be becoming someone else. She had been with the Titans for a while and while stopping criminals that would eventually do people harm she had only once physically saved someone from certain doom and he had thanked her by hitting her with a brick.

"Oh get over it Mary-Sue." Jinx said and turned over. "Respect my "Z"s Jinx muttered into the sofa and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

In Ravens mind the figures representing her emotions were gathered around two blocks that rested on the ground. Both were covered by swirling pink and purple smoke. On the face of one was the image of a woman named Randy Kandel. On the other was Jinx but the memory of each woman was wiped from the memory of both Raven and the figments.

"It's been three days and while the majority of her memories have returned these two remain hidden from even us. It's . . . unsettling . . ." Amber a yellow cloaked Raven with glasses said. "Does anyone have any ideas?" Amber asked looking at her fellow figments.

Pewter and Emerald both shook their heads.

"How should we know Amber? You're the brainy one!" Fuchsia said throwing an arm around the yellow clad Raven. Amber frowned at the boxes.

* * *

Jinx entered the living quarters with Kid Flash who darted straight for Robin's quarters. Jinx made her way the couch where she saw Raven cleaning. Raven turned and looked at her.

"Hi" Raven greeted flatly and continued cleaning.

"Need a hand?" Jinx offered not because she wanted to help but because she was sure this was what you did when you worked on the side of good. f

"No. I'm almost done. You can sit down." Raven said.

"I found out why I had those kids 3D movies," Raven said while running a vacuum over a couch cushion. "They just left five minutes ago," Raven said the corners of her lips threatening a grin.

"Oh those little kid superheroes?" Jinx said. She had seen Beast Boy taking them out on her way in. "You're baby sitting them?" Jinx asked with a touch of bewilderment. Raven didn't strike her as the type. Jinx thought she would be the last to judge a book by its cover but it seemed even she still did make genreral observations.

'That will teach me,' Jinx thought.

"I like them . . ." Raven said with out looking at Jinx. "I Did before I lost my memory of them."

"Oh." Jinx said. "That's cool. How much of your memory is back?"

"Almost all if it," Raven said turning off the vacuum. "I don't remember you though." Raven said.

Jinx raised a brow. She wasn't sure what to make of that. It didn't really mean anything. She could just be one of a few scattered late returning memories.

"Heh. Maybe you don't want to remember me. I was one of the bad gals ya know."

"Hmm." Raven murmured shoving the vacuum into a closet and then sitting on the couch next to Jinx.

* * *

"I don't get it Robin. I really don't." Speedy said standing behind the Titans leader and looking at the large city map on the monitor. Kid Flash stood on the other side of Robin.

"I know. I can't quite figure out the pattern either. First Raven. Then Herald. Raven is suffering from amnesia. They did nothing to Herald.-"

"What?" Speedy asked shocked. "I'm talking about something important. I guess it happens to all the greats every once in a while . . . A losing Streak."

Robin blinked.

"You're talking about girls again? How long has it been?"

"A week and a half! I have never gone so long with out getting any!" Speedy exclaimed throwing his arms in the air.

"Ah, so Speedy's libido is both his favorite strength and his greatest weakness? A double edge sword?" Kid Flash joked.

"My sword is getting dull," Speedy muttered.

"Uh huh." Robin said turning back to the monitor.

"Is Raven still off limits?" Speedy asked him.

"Yeah." Robin said not taking his eyes off the monitor. "Give her a couple more days. If your mess with her while she's in such a state I'm not wasting my time going to your funeral."

* * *

They sat on the couch in silence. Jinx's eyes spied the remote. She picked it up and looked at Raven.

"You mind?" She asked. More of those pleasantries she assumed were mandatory in this environment. Back in the hive she would have just stolen the remote and told who ever was watching TV to take long walk off a short pier.

"Knock yourself out." Raven said and picked up a book. Jinx looked at Raven mouth agape.

"You're not going to read while I'm watching TV, are you?"

"Watch me." Raven said.

"That's so silly!"

"Is it?" Raven asked.

"Heck yeah! What do ya hate TV or something?"

"No. Most of the things on most of the time are mindless drivel including whatever you're likely to put on," Raven said.

"How do you know that?!" Jinx snapped. "I might-might have put on something . . ." Jinx paused obviously trying to think of a show Raven might watch. "Maybe I'd put on Shrek. Or Ice Age." Jinx said with cheeky grin. Raven stiffened.

"Those movies are-"

"What? I can't hear you! Speak up. You saying even the mighty Raven likes immature programming?" Jinx said putting one had to an ear as if pretending to hear and leaning over Raven's book.

"They are not that bad," Raven said in her defense. Jinx howled with laughter. Then stopped noticing Raven's book covered more of her face if that was possible. "Ray Ramano makes a good mammoth-" she all but muttered.

"Hey. I'm just messing with you. Here" Jinx said throwing the remote at Raven's book. It fell beside Raven. "Put something on that isn't um . . . trash TV or whatever you smart people call it."

"Not interested." Raven said. The remote turned pitch black and floated over to Jinx.

Jinx looked at the remote for a moment wondering if she should keep pushing the mage. She took the remote and started channel surfing. She started looking for things she thought Raven might watch just to see if she could get a reaction from her.

Zap.

-The sneakers that can breath!

Zap

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!-

Zap.

"And I'll guarantee you this: Those attacks from the left and the right will continue. They perhaps may get even a little more energetic. And as long as they continue to do so, you and I can rest assured that we're doing more right than wrong on this broadcast."

Zap.

Stop him Double D!-

Zap.

-contrary to popular beliefs, those who practice Wicca do not worship Satan, perform sacrifices human or otherwise or use the forces of nature to perform hexes or spells to harm others. One of the main tenets-

"Yet another misunderstood part of society." Jinx heard Raven's words travel over her book.

'Well it didn't take long to get you yakking again' Jinx thought.

"Really? What are they talking about? Witches?"

"Stop talking to me and listen for yourself."

"Nah. Why should I listen to the 'idiot box' when I have you?" Jinx asked with mirth.

Raven dropped the book to look at Jinx.

"Maybe I don't wanna waste my time telling you," Raven said.

"Then let me live a pointless, distracted, blunted existence in ignorance."Jinx said throwing her arms in the air for dramatic effect.

"Those were a lot of big words. Is your head ok? Need to take a break?

"Oh, ha ha!" Jinx said looked away pretending to be miffed. "People sometimes ask me if I'm a Wiccan . . . well the few that don't show me the sign of the cross and scream 'witch witch!' Or maybe they were shouting 'b!tch b!tch!' I mean. I stopped listening after a while."

"Curious," Raven started, "Were you tormenting and robbing these people when they called you those things?"

Jinx said this." . . . "Then she said."I'm guessing you have a point here but I really don't see where you're going with this."

Raven raised a brow at the comment and almost grinned. This made Jinx grin.

"I'm forming the opinion that people like to stereotype each other. Put everyone is nice little categories. Makes it easier than understanding that each and every individual might be a, gasp! -individual!" Jinx preached her observation.

"I'm inclined to agree," Raven said simply.

"Well it's about time! I was starting to think you just like to disagree with me." Jinx said.

"I don't. You're very noisy. I'd be better off agreeing with everything you said. It might make you shut-" Raven said eyes glued to her book.

"You're damn good at taking the wind out of my sails! To good. You must be enjoying yourself."

Raven paused to seriously think about that. Maybe she did.

Both watched the documentary on the history of the Wiccan religion for ten minutes before Raven asked. "If you're not a Wiccan, what are you?"

"Religious wise? Um . . . "Jinx played with her fingers."Nothing? How about, 'who ever wants me?!" Jinx said throwing her arms in the air again.

Raven shook her head at the woman's silliness.

"My mommy was an acolyte if that means anything. I guess there was a religious affiliation . . ." Jinx's eyes became distant and her voice trailed off. Raven could tell instantly that this was not a comfortable subject for her. She controlled the remote and changed the channel.

"I- like your out fit Jinx." Raven said with just the slightest bit of hesitation.

"Really?" Jinx's pale face lit up. "Thanks!"

Raven looked at Jinx blankly.

"What?"

"I didn't know my stating a simple fact would have that much of an affect."

"Oh shut up! You're going to make me blush!" Jinx said.

"What?" Raven was genuinely confused.

"You're calling it a fact! Like my outfit is some kind of undeniably great thing! Like a-

"A materiality?"

"What's that mean?"

"Fact or state of being permanent."

"Then yeah. I'll have you know not every one likes it so getting a compliment on it here and there means a lot me. And of course screw those who don't like it."

". . . Ok," Raven said.

"I mean it! You're like, 'dizzy brat. Just take the complement and shut up already.'"

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Raven said.

Jinx started laughing hard. She eventually rolled onto the floor. It had been forever since she had laughed for real. This made her laugh a little more until finally tears were in her eyes. She felt liberated. She felt free. This was the real Jinx. The one who was brooding and just going through the motions of "playing good gal" for the past couple weeks was some fake stand in.

Raven looked down at her book and realized she was still on the same page as when she opened it. That was an hour and a half ago.

"Raven what did you do to her?" they heard Kid Flash call to them as he approached with Robin.

"Oh it was terrible!" Jinx cried from the floor. "She busted my gut."

"Anytime," Raven said flatly then pretended to read her book.

Kid Flash snickered.

"Well I'm done here. Are you ready?" Kid Flash asked.

"Uh yeah sure." Jinx said climbing to her feet," the proper exiting statement escaped her. She considered a few before finally settling on "Later Raven."

"Yes. Later," Raven said.

* * *

In perfect circles the rag went. It was focused on dirt spots and smudges that only Victor Stone could see. The T-Car was already blindingly polished. The cloudless sunny day made it almost a visual impairment to those passing by the cream colored walkway of the beach. And it was on the beach were Victor was determined to keep his one human eye and the robotic one off. For if he didn't, he would see . . . her. The very image of her from ten short minutes ago was enough to cause his automated built in buffer attachment to go astray, sliding across the hood of the car and nearly causing him to fall. She had showed up as planned with Beast Boy but the bikini he had failed to anticipate.

"Real smart Cy-man. Suggest we all go hang ten and forget that babes go into like babe-overdrive in this environment." he said to himself.

So he did what any insecure half-human, half-machine, teenager drowning in doubt that he could be with any girl would do. He blew them off. Went into a rant about how he needed to keep his "baby" looking good and plotted to spend virtually the entire evening here single-mindedly committed to this cause.

'I know she wants me.' his mind was telling him. He had always blown these thoughts off. Told them to shut up but recently he had been slipping. Striking out. Letting them fly into the catcher's mitt where they'd get louder and holler at him. He'd even begin to enterain the idea of dating Bumble Bee before his self loathing would finally drown it out and he'd berate himself. He'd tell himself he'd only imagined catching her looking at him longingly. Expectantly.

"See? Now If I just avoid her for the rest of my life even after she finds someone else I'll be good to go!"

Victor started rubbing smudges again and continued even when the reflection of the girl he was thinking about appeared on the car. He flinched thinking he was seeing things. While reeling back he caught a glimpse of her in the corner of his eye. He turned to face her.

"Oh Bee! You scared me,"

"Little old me?" she asked.

"Heh. yeah. He said rubbing the back of his head. His eyes darted between her face and the sandy pavement. They dare not stop anywhere between. Bee noticed this. An explanation for his behavior had popped into her mind during the hour she spent sitting on a towel watching kids burry Garfield Logan in the sand but was it just wishful thinking? Did she make him nervous? And if so, was it because he wanted her or just the opposite? Maybe he didn't want her and was having trouble telling her. Well she was damned if she would let this go on any longer. She approached.

"Wooooooow. It's like a mirror," she said peering at the car with interest. Cyborg became positively bashful. He rubbed the back of his head a little harder while failing to stop from grinning. "Nice going Narcissus."

"Who?"

"Greek Mythology. A beautiful man who fell in love with his reflection."

"Oh . . ." Cyborg stopped rubbing his head to scratch it instead.

Bumble Bee leaned over the car as she pressured herself to get it out. Why the hell did it have to be so hard? She was getting nervous now. A desire to just run was overcoming her. If only he had been pursing her. Why did all the lousy, worthless, two-timing men have no trouble hitting on her?

"Are you in love with yourself or this car Victor?" she asked. When she forced herself to face him he actually shot his gaze else where.

"Uh . . ." he trailed the question left him puzzled but his mind wasn't even completely contemplating the question. It was grapping with a sinking feeling that she was going _there._ No one thought he was in love with himself and everyone knew he loved the car but not more than any person. So this was some kind of indirect question.

"Why wont you look at me?!" she snapped. The chance to express anger actually emboldened her.

Cyborg sighed and let his shoulders slump.

"What are you driving at Karen?"

'Damn! How'd he put it all back on my shoulders?' Bee wondered almost dumbfounded.

"You've been acting funny since we got here!" she shot back.

"I don't happen to find vehicle maintenance amusing but whatever you consider it, it's my god given right!"

"What I mean-" Bumble Bee paused, closed her eyes and touched her forehead with her fingers to compose herself. She learned to do this to keep from shouting accusations and insults for sake of screaming as she might do when she was younger. 'Get back on track. He's mad about something that isn't even what I'm talking about,' she coached herself.

"I think you're avoiding me and I want to know why." She said peering at him.

"I- uh . . ." Cyborg turned his slumped form away from her. He felt himself break into a sweat. "The problem is that I want to look at. Like you are now. But I shouldn't."

"What are you talking about?" she pressed herself for patience. What kind of friggin answer was that?

"Don't know if you've noticed but I am the size of a Ford Expedition. And just as cuddly."

Bumble Bee's heart skipped a beat. This meant the problem wasn't her! He was stuck on himself.

"Bet you're just as warm on the inside to," she said smiling softly, stepping into his personal space.

"What? I'm saying is I'm a hulking metal giant! What would you want with that?"

"You think I missed that?!" she snapped at him. "If it bothered me do you think I'd be coming on to you?" letting these words free felt overwhelmingly liberating for her. The fact that he didn't run off screaming into hills or use his car to get away from her but rather seemed to accept it was making her heart swim in warmth.

"Then just tell me why it doesn't bother you? How could it not?" Cyborg asked pleadingly.

"Like a said you big lug," She said wrapping her arms around his waste and looking up into his eyes. "You're warmer on the inside." They embraced for a moment.

"How come this never stopped you from chasing other girls?" Bumble Bee asked not really wanting details about her new boyfriend's old girl friends but to curious to keep herself from asking.

"Well that was a long time ago. I was young and stupid enough to forget about my disposition long enough to uh . . . you get the idea."

"It wasn't that long ago,"

"And I haven't gotten that much smarter either."

* * *

"Ah there she is." Amber said watching the image of Jinx in one of the boxes she had been studying for days. Memories of the girl were finally returning to both her and Raven. The box began to fade until it was no longer there.

"Well. I can honestly say I have no idea what that means." Amber said staring at the empty space where the box had been. Now only the one with Randy Kandel remained. She looked at it and discovered that the sides framing the image of the blonde woman had actually darkened.

"Are you still looking at those boxes? Come on! We've got better things to be making Raven think about!" Emerald called to Amber.

"Yeah. Like Jinx! Isn't she great?" Fuchsia asked. Amber just looked at them blankly.

"She seems . . . significant. Raven has devoted a small space in her mind to Jinx much like the ones for Robin, Starfire Cyborg, Tera and Beast Boy. For Raven we all know that's rare."

"Why ya gotta talk so borin'? Why don't cha just say 'totally freaking, b!tching, awesome man?'!" the green Raven asked.

"Because I'm in charge of Raven's intelligence and logic-" Amber started. She stopped when she realized no one was listening.

"Come on. Let's see if we can get her to hang out with Jinx again!" Fuchsia said to Emerald.

"I thought we were trying to get her to train with Speedy?"

"Who?" Fuchsia asked.


	5. Chapter 5

Distortion Chapter 5

Yeah. Randy was a plot element. I like to think that just because this story will end with a paring of Jinx and Raven that other possible love interests don't just conveniently all fall into a near by crater never to be seen again. ;

She didn't question it. Why should she? There were enough people on the planet so that it was likely happening every minute of the day if not more frequently. She tried not to think of its cause. People didn't dwell on this sort of thing. The fact was that Jinx was her friend now. She was her best friend to tell the truth.

All her memories of Jinx did come back and she was a bit dismayed by the fact that virtually all of them were of them at odds. It was nothing personal. Jinx had been on the wrong side. The matter that bothered her most was the fact that she hadn't a shred of understanding for Jinx when she had been an enemy. If not for Kid Flash and his willingness to look through the deeds, would this friendship have been possible?

Although it hadn't come up, Raven also remembered Jinx's confession that she was gay. Jinx's sexual preference had no influence on the way Raven's feelings about Jinx.

After frequent run-ins during their field assignments, Jinx would one way or another end up in Raven's company and it was a company Raven, she had to admit, enjoyed. Jinx was zany but more intellectual than Beast Boy. She was full of spirit. She had a taste for the darker often misunderstood elements of life like the beauty in the serenity of a field at night. She appreciated things that would otherwise scare people away. She was much like Raven, but still plenty of someone else and to be honest, who wanted to be best friends with a clone of them self?

"There's no food in here," Jinx said closing a cupboard.

"Guess we are ordering out." Raven said.

"Again? I'm sick of fast food. I'm gonna get fat." Jinx said ruefully patting her stomach.

"No choice. Neither of us can cook."

"Isn't that crazy? We're both chicks! What is the world coming to?"

"Equality of the sexes?"

Jinx snickered. "Is that what they really had in mind when they gave us equal rights?"

"Yes perhaps they hoped we'd starve," Rave said. Jinx snickered.

Beast Boy strolled into the living quarters carrying a DVD case.

"DUDE-ets.! I finally found it! I've been looking everywhere for this. You have to see this." Beast Boy said coming into the kitchen.

"Can he cook?" Jinx asked Raven.

"Maybe . . ." Raven replied. Beast Boy didn't seem to hear them. He was ranting about his game.

" . . . Legacy of Kain Anthology. It's every title re-mastered . . . why are you two looking at me like that?"

So a bargain was stuck. Beast Boy cooked for the girls and Raven promised to at least watch the game which she actually did find interesting. It was one of the most original takes on Vampires she had ever seen and the convoluted story kept her glued to her seat. She couldn't play it however, and Jinx wasn't much better so they ended up watching Beast Boy play for hours. By 12am they had only gotten about half way through the game and Beast Boy wanted to go to sleep. Raven, finding herself to impatient to wait took the controller and tried to pick up where the green teen left off. She died many miserable deaths with in only a matter of minutes. Poor Raziel.

"Why didn't they just make it into a cinematic collection?" Raven close to pouted dropping the controller.

"For lazy and sorry a$$ gamers like you?" Jinx asked.

"In essence . . . yes." Raven grumbled.

"Come on Raven. You know if you want something you always have to fight for it!"

Jinx loved Raven like a sister. Though she had never seriously considered having siblings and she was sure if she ever had, she would have imagined one being older than her and better at the trades which she had to used to stay alive such as stealing. She realized now that she would have been better off imagining an older sibling that would have been a better role model.

Jinx picked up the controller and did marginally better than Raven for a time but too eventually died.

"God. Can't cook. Can't game. I guess I can still sing though. Some one save me if you will and take awayyyyyyyy all these pills!" Jinx sang as she tired to run Raziel past the various enemies. They hunted him down and killed him for the umpteenth time.

"Ok. I give up." Jinx said tossing the controller on the floor. She stood, took four steps towards the couch and flopped down on it.

"Alright. Guess I'll turn in too." Raven said turning off the game console and the TV. "Good night Jinx." Raven said to the slumbering form on the couch.

"Mhm hmm nm." came from the pink haired head face down on the couch.

"Whatever you said it was charming I'm sure," Raven said as she left for her room. Jinx snickered.

* * *

They shot down the street like the bullets they had fired at their pursuers. Their hearts were pounding as their sneakers pounded the pavement on the way to freedom.

"Halt!" a voice commanded. In an instant a young mage was floating inches off the ground in front of them. Both men tried to stop but only managed to flay their arms wildly before slamming into a black magic shield. One fired several shots at the shield only to watch them ricochet off. The other man got up and started running again.

"I got him." Jinx shouted. She sprung off the roof of a near by car and fell in place behind the man. Jinx was not only able to catch up to him, but she also ran past and whirled to face him with a predatory grin. He raised his gun but before he even finished aiming it she had slammed the heel of palm into his inner wrist and smacked his hand sending the gun flying into his face.

She followed up with a couple strikes to the chest and stomach until the man doubled over.

Raven floated to Jinx with the other man enveloped in her magic and dropped him next to the one Jinx had taken out.

"Nice," Raven said. Jinx made a courtesy. Raven contacted the police with her Titans communicator and they waited with the men until their ride arrived.

"I'll never get use to that," Jinx said as she and Raven walked away from the scene.

"What?"

"The police showing up after I had something to do with a ruckus, and then leaving with out me."

"Feeling left out?" Raven asked her.

"Yeah!" Jinx sniffled and pretended to wipe away imaginary tears, "What are you up to today sister?" Jinx asked grinning and throwing an arm over Raven's shoulder as they walked. Raven couldn't explain why but she liked Jinx at this close proximity. She even liked the little title she had just placed on her.

"Nothing I can't do tomorrow . . ." Raven answered truthfully.

"Good. Want to come with me?"

"Where are you going?" Raven asked.

"Just to get some . . ." Jinx paused in front of a shop. Raven stood next to her and read the sign. "Art Supplies."

"Never seen this before. I usually have to go all they way-" Jinx cut herself off when she realized Raven was looking at her. "What?"

"You draw?"

"Uh uh . . ." Jinx said back peddling and wishing to change the subject. Raven raised a brow.

"Well do you or not?" Raven asked.

"Yeah but I'm not really good and I'd rather no one know . . ." Jinx said scratching the back of her arm.

"So are you coming?" Raven asked already in the store. Jinx followed. They spent thirty minutes in there. Jinx stalked the isles making a wish list for when she had more money. She purchased a couple couple paint brushes and a drawing pad.

As they existed, a man snatched Raven's hand. She trained an annoyed glare on him.

"Ah. No need to rush my dear. If you can not wait to see what the future has in store, why not let a talented man such as myself tell you?"

"Fortune teller, huh?" Raven said. Raven squatted to stare the man in his tanned face. She smirked. "So you do have little magic. I can sense it. Well fortune teller, I like to make my own fate." Raven stood and she and Jinx walked away.

"A little magic?" Mumbo Jumbo muttered. He wasn't sure if he should be proud he had restrained his abilities so much that she didn't recognize him or insulted that he had so little magic to restrain.

The disguised super villain licked his index finger and pointed toward the sky with it.

"Wind conditions are not favorable. Where's the distortion Tribe promised? Nothing is changing!"

"Crap. See what ya did? I only have enough for this now," Jinx said showing Raven a coffin keychain. She pressed the button on the back and it started laughing.

"Jinx . . . do you even have a car?"

"What have I told you about logic?" Jinx snapped at her.

"What were you going to get originally?" Raven asked.

"Oh just some tops."

"Here," Raven said handing Jinx forty bucks.

"That's ok." Jinx said not accepting it.

"Not its not. Take it."

"No!"

"We are not arguing about this."

"Fine. I'll give it back."

"Don't."

"God. Dealing with you straight arrow types!" Jinx said pretending to be distressed.

* * *

Amber stalked the fragmented landforms that floated carelessly in the black sky. Everything was in its place. Much to her preference. All but that box that she hadn't bothered to look at for the last week. If anything about the box had changed, she would feel it. Everything else was . . .

"Hmm." Amber stopped. A girl was in her path. It was Fuchsia. The pink garbed Raven was sitting on the ground humming and smiling. Her face was flushed. Amber squatted down to stare at the figment of Ravens' happiness more closely. It was strange. This was the way Fuchsia acted when ever a man had caught Raven's interest in a romantic way but with two major differences. Usually Fuchsia erected a statue of the male and two, Raven hadn't taken any interest in any males recently.

"Why do we still sleep alone after all this time? Why does Jinx sleep on the couch? She could share our bed . . ." Fuchsia said looking gingerly at Amber. Amber's eyes doubled in size.

"You can't be suggesting-!" Amber said bolting up, staring and stepping back.

"She's so . . . I like when we are around her. Makes me feel warm."

"I-I disapprove." Amber said sharply turning away from the other figment and squeezing her eyes shut. She could feel Fuchsia's desire like invisible arms moving out in waves and boring into her. She had witnessed this used on Raven many times. It wasn't Fuchsia's fault. This was her reason for existing after all. Just as It is Amber's reason to fight any radical changes in Raven's logic.

"Good thing it's not completely up to you." Fuchsia said in a singsong voice.

Then Amber felt it. Her head snapped up and instantly she could see the box with the image of Randy Kandel. It was many rock forms away but distance did not truly exist in this place. The box shattered and then Amber, the other figments and Raven herself remembered Randy.

* * *

Jinx was roused at some foreign hour by a scratching noise. It sounded like someone rubbing a fork against a plate. She sqeezed her eyes shut hopping that eventually it would stop. When it didn't, she shot up and looked in the direction it was coming from. In the kitchen was the silhouette of something that sent a shiver down her spine. It was buff but lean, especially in the upper body. She wanted to say it was Cyborg but the limbs were much thinner and the movement much too fluid. It stopped the scrapping sound and it's head snapped from left to right as if it had only know realized it was not alone.

She was suddenly overwhelmed by fear. So much so that she stood stock still on the couch to afraid to sit down and possibly disappear in the shadows. The creature whirled around to face her and in an instant, it launched itself at her. She cried out and began to summon a hex bolt but it had already closed in. It grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the couch. She kicked it twice, the once more as hard as she could. The creature fell to the ground but was lumbering back to its feet in seconds. Jinx was now on the shoulder of the couch releasing a hex bolt from her hands. It hit the beast in the head but had no effect.

"What?" she hurriedly tried again. And again. The creature was glaring at her now. It launched for her again. She hopped off the couch and started running for the door. It was blocked as Cyborg came into the room. She skidded to a stop and turned to face the creature only to find nothing. Nothing at all.

"What's a matter?" Cyborg asked. Jinx barely heard him. She was looking in every corner of the room for the creature she had just been fighting.

"Jinx? I heard a commotion." Cyborg started.

"Yeah. There was this-"

Just then, the power went out. Not long after that all the other Titans made there way into the living quarters. All except Raven.

"Well that's telling." Robin said.

"What?" Jinx was the only one who seemed lost by his comment.

"Something like this happened once before. Monsters that you just can't fight." Cyborg said.

"Are you freaking serious? Raven's doing this?" Jinx asked.

The other Titans were in silent agreement.

"But if she's doing it again, why doesn't she just do what she did last time?" Beast Boy asked.

"We won't know the answer to that until we find her," as Robin finished that sentence the length of the hallway leading to their rooms multiplied by several yards. Robin started running only to find that no matter how fast he ran he never got any closer to the intersection.

"This is going to be fun," Cyborg said.

"You look like you're on a treadmill." Jinx commented.

Robin stopped running and slapped one sharp end of a Birderang into the ground. The carpet rose up like a snake and stuck out at Robin. He froze it with an ice bomb and shattered it with a kick. The hallway returned to normal.

"Let's go Titans!" Robin shouted and the other teens fell in line behind him. As soon as they reached the intersection they were confronted by an army of shadowy soldiers. The Titans attacked them.

Jinx blasted one with a hex bolt and again there was no effect. She frowned and started assaulting it with kicks and punches.

At first the Titans were moving through the group. But the incapacitated soldiers they left in there wake began to rise. Some even doubled becoming two soldiers. Now the Titans were surrounded in a narrow hallway.

"I think we are doing this wrong. Didn't you guys see 300?" Beast Boy cried. After a minute more of struggle the creatures began running into each other. The all became one solid from. This form became a torrent of black water that washed the teens all the way back into the living quarters.

"She is kicking our collective $$." Jinx said after gasping for air.

There was a loud rumbling then. The ground was beginning to shake. The Titans soon realized that the ground was alive. The rumbling was thousands of feet scurrying towards them. The clamping of sharp teeth was that of a rat swarm.

"High Ground!" Robin called. Starfire lifted him off they ground and flew for the window. Beast Boy turned into a pterodactyl and grabbed Cyborg. Jinx hopped on his back. As they flew for the large windows of the tower several black rivers of smoke traveled across the glass wall and met in the center. It call converged to form a large demon man. He was taller than Cyborg and his face was all black except for four large red eyes.

His large arm shot out and backhanded Starfire and Robin. They went reeling into a wall. It struck down Cyborg, Beast Boy and Jinx as well. The rats swarmed over the fallen Titans. The Titans struggled in vain as the rats covered them and changed from black rodents to chains.

Jinx was levitated several inches off the ground. She was then brought by unseen forces to stand beside the demon man who turned to her with and almost caring gaze.

"Dude . . . ?" Beast Boy said.

"What are you going to do with her?!" Robin shouted at the creature as he struggled in his bonds.

The creature looked at him with what they thought might be annoyance then back to Jinx. Jinx was set down on her feet but still bound with her wrists behind her. A black magic set over the pink haired girl and she whimpered in fear. Was this it? Was she going to be devoured by it? She felt with her heart racing the substance racing over her upper body but no pain yet. She opened one eye slowly to see her demise but the magic was still just racing back and forth over her torso. When it stopped her out fit had been replaced with a new one. A strange one. A white one. A wedding dress!

"Oh, hell no!" Jinx said struggling with all her might. "Even if you were human you still wouldn't be my type," she almost laughed despite the immense fear this creature was building in her.

It became angry. The temperature in the room almost doubled. Jinx's white dress became pitch black. The creature loomed over her. In its four eyes Jinx was sure she could almost see as much pain as anger. Then it turned away from her and its head dropped in self pity.

"Is it just me or is this getting reaaaaaaaly weird?" Beast Boy asked.

Should she try to console it Jinx wondered. It seemed insane. This was some kind of demon. No logic she had ever possessed would have convinced her that this would work. She didn't get to try however. The creature fell to one knee. The shackles on all the teens became slack. It let another knee hit the floor and the shackles disappeared as did the rats. All evidence of its presence began to fade from the room. Robin rushed toward the creature preparing to strike it down with his staff.

"Wait!" Jinx said standing over the creature. It had shrunk. It was now just figure in a cowl. It was Raven.

* * *

"This is taking to long. They control too much of the city," Mumbo Jumbo said. "That potion doesn't even seem to be working."

Control Freak spun in his office chair several times.

"I don't like this idea anyway. This Tribe . . ." Mumbo Jumbo said looking pensively into nothing.

"What we need . . . is an inside man . . . or woman," Control Freak said seeming not to have noticed his partners growing dissent.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Think. We know someone who was on our side but is now on there side right?" Control Freak said.

"Jinx? She seems pretty comfy in her new role." Mumbo Jumbo said.

"Pfft! There has got to be something we can use." Control Freak said. He whirled to face this computer and began typing. "Let's just ask our friend Mr. Classified files."


	6. Chapter 6

Distortion chapter 6.

Still no beta reader. My girlfriend is too busy. - what could be in more important than editing the yarns I spin, I ask you!

* * *

Devil-red clouds blocked out the sun. Buildings turned black. Even though every color was diffused and tinted red, shadows grew twice their normal size and the citizens couldn't help but feel as though these shadows were watching them.

In Titans Tower, Robin paced by Raven's bedside waiting for the mage to awaken. He stopped to watch the sky for a moment and listened to a radio broadcast on his communicator.

"This must be Control Freak and Mumbo Jumbo's doing," Robin said playing connect the dots in his head. "There is so much space between the events, but I think they did that to keep me from figuring it out. Those attacks on the otherTitans were random to throw me off their trail. If it is the potion they used on her then this . . ." Robin said looking at the red sky. " . . . Raven's powers going haywire, then they may be after other magic users as well."

Having figured it out at last Robin dispatched Titans all over the world to keep a vigil on other magic users.

When he turned around he almost jumped out of his skin at what he saw. Raven was sitting up and staring blankly in his direction.

"Raven?" Robin said regaining his composure and coming to her bedside.

"How do you feel?"

She clutched her stomach.

"Light headed. Light . . . all over. What happened to me?" she asked.

"Your powers got loose like the time you didn't want to admit your fear. Do you have any idea why? Were you having a nightmare, maybe?"

"No." she said looking at him with concern. "Is everyone ok?"

"Everyone is fine. It's just this . . ." Robin said moving and pointing at the window. "It has done no harm so far but I'm guessing it's only a matter of time. Any idea what it might be?"

Raven stood and walked to the window. She studied the sky intently and felt for it.

"It's . . . me." she said closing her eyes and placing her head on the glass.

"What do you mean?"

"It's . . ." she paused again sensing something. "It's not just me. It's the magic of many all swirling together to . . ."

"To what Raven?"

"To change the world."

"How do we stop it?"

"I don't know. It seems to be coming directly from us and feeding into some kind of magic engine. We'd have to stop the magic users. I'm going to try to disconnect myself from it." Raven said.

Raven entered her levitating meditation stance, closed her eyes and chanted. She tried to will the connection to end. She tried to stop the magic from draining from her. No matter what she tried, she had no effect.

"Maybe if you rest some more . . ." Robin started. "In fact, do that. I already have the other Titans tracking down the magic users."

Raven had time to nod before Robin departed. She walked to the large glass window and placed her right hand on the window. She rested her head on the back of that hand. She couldn't help feel that something in her life had taken an awfully dramatic turn. Strangely enough, she didn't believe it had much to do with that fact that the earth might be swallowed up inside some kind chaotic magic vortex.

It ate at her. Something important had happened but she couldn't recall what. Then the missing element simply walked into the room. Her appearance caused Raven's heart to skip a beat.

"Um, sorry. I should have knocked." Jinx said.

Raven stared at the girl who was now contemplating exiting and trying a better entrance.

"It's ok, Jinx." Raven said. Jinx paused, let go of the door and walked back into the room.

"'Bout to head out in a minute. Thought I'd just pop in and see if you were ok." Jinx said taking a good look at Raven. Raven still held a semi startled look. "Are you ok?"

Raven's mind was racing. She imagined her thoughts looking like a pack of greyhounds rushing through tunnel no wider than a building's air vent. Each was yelping and snapping as they rushed to be the first out of the tunnel. Barely distinguishable blurs bounding and colliding in their pace. The force of the thoughts made her back pedal. When her legs touched the bed, she sat down.

"Wow. I'll take that as a no." Jinx said, walking and sitting beside her. She put a hand on Ravens right shoulder and one on her left arm. The action actually made Raven even jitterier. Raven couldn't stop herself from turning to Jinx who was asking her something but the words didn't reach Ravens ears. There was a war going on in her head.

'Randy Kandel? I'm gay? And I love . . . this girl here beside me?'

Their eyes locked and Raven felt her emotions become unguarded. She peered openly into Jinx's large pink cat-like eyes. It was as if she had just lost a fight to keep up a facade. The two sat staring in each others eyes. 'She can see my thoughts!' Raven thought. 'She can see it all.' Although this wasn't true, Raven's mistake doubled her nervousness.

"I-I-I . . . uh . . ." Raven stammered while hopping to her feet and backing away from Jinx.

Jinx raised a brow at this most peculiar reaction and thought she'd wait for an explanation.

"I'm ok. I just need to rest." Raven said.

"Jinx. Are you ready?" a voice buzzing from Jinx's communicator interrupted them.

"Yeah. I'm coming." Jinx replied to the device.

"Hope you feel better," Jinx said getting up and preparing to leave.

Raven watched her retreat and the overwhelming pressure of her own soul crying out for the girl. And then Jinx was gone.

Raven pursed her lip and looked at her hands. I'm in love with her she realized. Her memory of a beautiful blond woman she had met not to long ago had somehow been sealed.

And so began the waiting. She turned her mind first to the issue of figuring out the magic vortex. She plunged through her books looking for references to it but her mind would often wander back to Jinx. She watched the clock and listened to dispatches of other Titans calling for help or reporting their status. Raven told herself that eventually Jinx would be back and Raven would again have to deal with her feelings for the girl.

* * *

As Jinx accompanied other Titans on various trips to check on other magic using heroes and villains she spent the rides thinking about Raven. Specifically the fact that while in the guise of a demon Raven had tried to marry her. Of course Raven had not been in control. Jinx honesty didn't even think she was was conscious at the time. From what the others had told her it seemed like the Titans had been living in one of Raven's dreams and what were dreams? People could dream of anything. Just random gibberish Jinx thoughts. But what was with that funny look Raven had been giving her a short hour ago?

'She was just out of it,' Jinx thought. 'What other explanation could there be?' Jinx rationalized but something still seemed unresolved. Something was nagging at her. This didn't bother her to much however. She would figure out eventually. Right now she was just happy her best friend was ok.

* * *

When the Titans returned they were all discussing the mission and the vortex. Raven decided this probably wouldn't be the best time for her to do what ever it was she was going to do about Jinx.

"They are all under lock and key. I don't think even the Brother Hood of Evil will be able to get to them." Cyborg said.

"But we still don't know how to stop that vortex," Robin said. He turned to Raven. "Did you find anything?"

All eyes turned to Raven.

"Yes. It's a Change Engine. It must have been created by an inter-dimensional demon." Raven dared to steal a glance at Jinx. The girl was looking at her but focused on the task at hand.

"He must be quite powerful. The potion he used on me is causing my power to feed the vortex. So he must have had Control Freak and Mumbo Jumbo use it on a number of other magic users."

"So how do we shut it down?" Beast Boy chipped in.

"I haven't figured that out yet. But I will. Just give me a couple more hours." Raven said looking down at the book in her arms.

"Alright." Cyborg.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower then," Beast Boy said. "Shout when we're ready to roll . . . or if you just was a free show," he added raising his eyebrows suggestively. Jinx snickered good naturedly.

"That was actually almost clever B," Cyborg said as he and several other Titans started to leave the room.

Jinx, as Raven figured, remained.

"Can I help?"

'No. Hell no!' Raven wanted to say. She wasn't ready to be alone with her. Even now here eyes were trailing all over Jinx's slender figure and forming theories about how it would feel against her hands. 'Fuchsia stop!' Raven screamed in her head. Even though she couldn't see the figment of her happiness, she was sure the pink garbed Raven heard her command.

"Can you read old Latin?"

"Umm. . . . Very little. I only learned what I needed to use Hexes." Jinx said frowning.

"Well, you can look if you want." Raven said. She turned away from Jinx. She began building a stack of books for Jinx, happy to be doing anything other than undress Jinx with her eyes.

"Ok." Jinx said kneeling down by the coffee table. She promptly started flipping through one of the books. Raven realized Jinx was oblivious to her feelings. She must have made very little of Raven's behavior. This was both a relief and a disappointment at the same time.

'Why? Why?' Why did this come on all of a sudden? Shouldn't their have been signs that I am this way?' Raven thought wishing she had consulted her emotions in the time the other Titans had been out although she suspected she would not like what they would have to say.

Raven looked at Jinx who was still studying the text in a dusty, old book intently.

'Oh this is the perfect time for this.' Raven berated her self sarcastically. The world's about to be devoured by magic and I'm dealing with my love life. Still . . . I can't concentrate!'

"I'll be right back." Raven said standing and dismissing herself.

"K." Jinx chimed.

Raven walked until she was out of sight then darted for her room. In under a minute she was in her room with mirror in hand and chanting the words that would allow her into her mind. Once she appeared, she forced every figment to appear before her. She looked at them all with a glare.

"Who knew?" she asked harshly.

All the Ravens looked at each other.

"Well?" Raven close to snapped at them.

"I have only a theory." the yellow Raven said. They all turned to her. "You're asking at what point you became gay. Well . . . you have subconsciously collected information that point to a major belief that people are born gay. It's just taken you until now to realize this . . .

That hit Raven like a bus. She closed her eyes and absorbed this while a panic set in and begane to overwhelm her. It made her want to run. To hide. To deny it. To lash out even.

"Love Jinx! Love Jinx!" Fuchsia voiced her opinion.

"No! We can't!" Pewter, the timid Raven in the gray hood and cowl chipped in. "Everyone hates homosexuals. They will hate us. Hate us more than they already do." And this was the representation of Raven's fear and doubt.

"Pffffft! Who cares Jinx rocks!" Emerald shouted. "She's almost as good a fighter as Robin. I love her!"

"I can't . . ." Raven said falling to her knees and crying. "I can't even face her. What if she rejects me on top over everything else?"

Amber leaned down next to Raven and placed a hand on Raven's shoulder. Raven raised her hoode head so their eyes could meet.

"I am your logic and I am overwhelmed by your other emotions. Majority rules here, Raven. You are in love with Jinx and you have every right to be happy with Jinx. That is, if she accepts you."

Raven left her room still in a daze and absentmindedly wandered back into the living quarters. There, Jinx approached her holding a book open to page with illustrated picture of a swirling, magic tornado.

"Does this have anything to do with it?" Jinx asked. Raven was lost in her own thoughts and took half a long half a minute just to nod.

So tell her! Voices said and Raven rebelled. Merely standing next Jinx gave her a case of the jitters. Jinx was explaining something but her words never reached Raven's brain for processing.

'I won't. I won't do it! You don't just go around falling in love with your friends . . . Except Starfire. But that was different. Everyone new she was in love with Robin before they were friends.'

Lead by fear of change and the possibility of rejection, Raven forced her feelings to the back of her mind. In its place was stopping the magic vortex and in time she did. She instructed the other magic users how to cancel the connection and stop feeding the magic engine and eventually the world returned to normal but with no suspects in custody she new this was only the beginning.

In the mean time she had bottling her feelings and avoiding Jinx to consume her time. Every day she found a way to be away, out of reach and simply never alone with Jinx. First she baby sat the tot Titans, and then she buried herself up to her eyebrows in missions and case work. Now she was even skipping town and often telling no one.

* * *

It was in a corn quite corn field south of the noisy city that she would run into Jinx again. She was outnumbered by a pack of Mumbo Jumbo's giant rabbits. Jinx was the only Titan to respond to her call for backup. The renegade magician was no where to be found after the skirmish. Raven surveyed the battle field for clues to what he was doing here in the first place. She ignored the pounding of her heart onset by Jinxes presence.

"There isn't anything of value here. I'm the only one here." Raven said just to fill silence between her and Jinx. She talked as if the two hadn't been apart for weeks.

"So . . . Are you mad at me?" Jinx asked and Raven froze. Her beating heart grew louder as the silence between them stretched.

"Guess you are." Jinx said almost dismissively. "Or you're just bored with me. Hell, I don't know and I guess it doesn't matter what I think. I mean . . . at first I was like . . . OK, maybe you're just busy. Then I thought you just might want your space. Now it's pretty obvious you want nothing to do with me and ah well. Nothing I can do right?" Jinx's words seemed to hit Raven's every sense. She could hear the dissatisfaction in the girl's voice and it was tearing at her.

"I can give up what I thought was a friendship. But what really sucks is that you didn't see fit to tell me. But Maybe I'm asking too much, eh? Don't really know. I'm not sure I'm all that great at doing things the "right" way, so maybe I'm wrong there too." Jinx said. She watched Raven's back. Raven was still stiff as stone. Jinx sighed. It appeared she was right. Raven wanted nothing to do with her. She wasn't sure why but she figured she would accept that. She felt better for getting her thoughts off her chest at any rate.

"Ok. It's been a real slice." Jinx said turning and preparing to leave. It wasn't until now that she started to feel the weight of loss.

Raven could hear her walking away and panicked.

'Wait! Wait!' It took her a moment to realize she was shouting this plea only in her mind.

"Wait!" she turned so fast her hood fell of her head. With tears in her eyes she faced Jinx who had complied and was waiting.

Raven felt her throat tighten. Jinx was both surprised and concerned. Apparently there was more going on here than she had realized and now she was about to find out what.

Again. Raven struggled for words. What to say, where to begin. She wondered if it was too late to make up a story. She was a terrible liar though.

She was breathing heavy and staring wide eyed at Jinx who was still waiting for an explanation.

"I'm not mad at you." Raven started off with what she realized was the safest thing to say. "And you aren't wrong to have wanted an explanation."

"No?" Jinx said taking a couple steps toward Raven. "Then what's wrong?"

"It- that," Her skin felt like it was on fire now. Pressure was mounting in her head.

"You can tell me," Jinx said inches from her now.

Raven inhaled deeply. Then exhaled.

"No . . . I can't." Raven said, turned and walked into to the tall stalks of corn. When Jinx followed she picked up the pace until she was running. She didn't look back. She didn't know if Jinx was still following. She just kept running. Shifting through the corn stalks with images of hear fears flashing before her eyes. It started too seem as if they were hiding in the cornstalks snatching at her and so she ran faster until her lungs burned. She didn't come to stop she just fell when her legs couldn't keep up. She came to rest face down sweaty, sobbing and covered in dust.

"Was there an old saying . . . if you run, I will chase you?" Jinx voice drifted to Raven's ears. She walked liesurely out of dark covered vegetation. The moon light caught her pink eyes and glare made her look like a demon.

Jinx kneeled down beside Raven and turned her over. Raven's glossy, watery blue eyes immediately looked off into the distance. She was well aware of Jinx but pretending not to be.

"Raven?" Jinx called pulling the other girl into a sitting position. "You have to tell me what's wrong. I can help!" Jinx's voice betrayed raw concern. The last comment she realized might not be true. She had no idea whether or not she'd be able to help Raven with anything she couldn't do her self but she would try her damndest!

"I should have tried to fly," Raven said with her eyes still averted.

Jinx smiled. "Maybe you wanted me to catch you,"

Raven looked at her now for the first time in weeks and it was clear to her why she was in love with this girl. She was beautiful to Raven, with her wild hair and make up over pale skin. Large eyes that, while cat-like, actually reflected the heart of a caring individual. She loved the things they had in common. She even loved the things they didn't. She was tired over running. What crime was it to let Jinx, or anyone, know these things?"

"I'm in love with you. That's why I ran," Raven said. She looked at Jinx only once then bowed her head as she awaited judgment. Jinx had stiffed and sat starring with lips parted.

Now that it was finally out Raven felt a little bit bolder. A bit more ready to face the scenario she didn't want.

"I will understand if . . . you'd like to leave now." Raven said.

"Nononono!" Jinx stopped her. "It's just so sudden." Jinx said. Jinx put her index finger to Raven's chin and raised her head. "I mean I didn't even know you were gay."

"That makes two of us Raven said." Her thoughts were becoming cloudy. She hadn't exactly been rejected yet. "So . . . you're not mad?" Raven ventured.

"Shoot girl! My head has been in the clouds. If it hadn't, I probably would have been the one wanting you." Jinx said. Raven's eyes doubled.

"I- I wouldn't even allow myself believe it would end this way." Raven said taking her eyes off Jinx. She was bewildered.

"Well . . . it did." Jinx said resting her knees on the ground then walking on all fours till her forehead touched Raven's. They locked eyes and Raven was going to say something but Jinx kissed her. Raven thought once they stopped she could pick up the conversation but they didn't stop making out until sometime in the dead of night.


	7. Chapter 7

Distortion Chapter 7.

Sorry folks. I thought I would really like to actually explore the Jinx/Raven relationship but then I thought I was going to do alot of things with this story. I'm to busy so I'm just going to go ahead and wrap this up.

Thanks everyone who has reviewed! It was much appreciated. Have a Subway sandwich or something. Sorry I can't pay for it. Cause I would!

And sorry for the bad grammar again.

* * *

Having her eyes closed, she saw the blackness. Not the same blackness most creatures saw. For her it had always been deeper and darker. But tonight it did not fill her with loneliness. Her senses were on fire. Warmth was being churned inside her. Although it threatened to overwhelm her it was also seemingly never enough. The warmth was being churned by they hands of another. They traveled across her chest, down her sides to her hips. The contact always left a burning desire for more.

When she inhaled she took in the sent of damp sand, cold air and the other girls breath. When she listened she heard the chirping of grasshoppers the rustling of the cornstalks, the hands testing the fabric of her outfit and her own moans of pleasure. When she thought, all she could think of was the warmth. The main offender was the tongue dancing between her lips. Deliberate and intent, it gave her senses a charge that never got old.

But eventually, it did come to an end. Only when something akin to exhaustion enveloped both participants did Jinx slip off of Raven and slump to her side. There she rested next to her with arms around Raven's waste.

Raven rested and listened to Jinx's steady breathing. Jinx's head was on her shoulder. All she could see was the pink horn-shaped hair.

"I love you," Raven said. Jinx stiffened slightly. "Jinx?" Raven called after a small pause.

"Heh. That's a big word Raven." Jinx looked up at Raven. Her eyes were almost the only thing she could see.

"I guess . . . you're right," Raven said.

"Yeah. And you got a head start. To think about this I mean." Jinx said.

Silence again.

Raven began to question this course of action. She had the girl. Didn't she? She was in love wasn't she? She was sure. This was different from Malchior. She was sure.

"You sure seem to be happy today." Kid Flash said scooping a fork full of rice into his mouth. He sat next to her at the bus stop.

"Maybe I am."

"And the reason might be?"

Jinx smiled gingerly and her head swayed left to right dreamingly. "This total hottie confessed her love for me." she said.

"Well congratulations," Kid Flash said grinning.

"Yeah. I'm so happy. Too happy I think. This is usually the part where the sky falls on me. "

"I've always wondered If I could out run the sky," Kid Flash said.

"Shut up," Jinx said pushing his shoulder.

"Here. I got you something," Jinx said placing a DVD case in Raven's hands. Raven turned it over and read the title. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. "I don't know if it's exactly CG like those other movies you have but I noticed you didn't have it."

"Oh," Raven said studying the case. "Thank you Jinx, I've never seen this. I think I might have heard of it."

"Cool. Hope you like it. I've never watched it all the way through."

And so that night the two watched the film. Raven didn't speak throughout the entire thing. Her eyes never left the screen. Jinx wasn't sure what the make of this and realized she had never sat and watched anything with her new girlfriend. She missed the grin that snagged at Raven's lips from time to time.

When it was over Jinx probed Raven for her thoughts. Raven bowed her head and sobbed silently.

"Was it that bad?" Jinx asked becoming alarmed. She thought it was OK as far as these kiddie flicks went. That Boogie man was almost bad enough to scare her though and she thought he may give kids nightmares. So much for her heroine streak. Seems she was back to making people cry. She put an arm around Raven and tried to get a look at Raven's face.

"Sorry. It's just that . . . " Raven said. "It's their job but they're not mean."

"Eh?" Jinx couldn't have been more puzzled.

"In the opening credits." Raven said resting her head against Jinx shoulder and looking into the distance with glistening blue eyes. "They were all scary people but they were still good people. It's better than my CG movies. It's like it was made just for me. I want to say I wish some one had shown me this when I was a child. . . " Raven paused and looked at Jinx. "But then I wouldn't have this moment with you." Loving adoration was coming from the blue eyes of the mage.

"Woah woah woah!" Jinx cut her off, moving away from Raven. "I don't want you giving me credit for things I didn't do. I had no idea it was going to be this big a deal."

"So committed to turning over a new leaf." Raven said and Jinx almost thought the goth like girl was going to swoon. This was so a stark difference from any personality that Jinx had ever seen Raven express that she just looked at her mouth a gape.

Secretly Raven found Jinx's expression amusing and her playful side seemed to bubble to the surface. Raven eyes became predatorial and she moved to close the distance between them. Jinx was still puzzled. Raven kissed her startled girlfriend and made moves on the the leather top that bound Jinx. Jinx was alarmed and pulled out of Raven's kiss but not her grip.

"Raven!"

Raven froze and look at Jinx seriously.

"I'm sorry. You're just so . . . you know."

"What?" Jinx asked.

"Cute."

"What?" Jinx asked grinning.

"It's not part of my vocabulary. Sounds weird when I say it." Raven said with a small scowl. Jinx giggled.

* * *

Jinx took an abrupt turn into an unfriendly looking alley on her stroll to the corner store. She walked three yards in and stopped. 

"Is this location suffice for your half-assed ambush or whatever it is you're tryin' to pull?" she called out to the walls of the buildings.

"Well . . . It'll do," replied a voice.

As Jinx turned, a portly young man stepped from the shadows into view.

"You . . ." Jinx said.

"That's right. It's me."

"Um . . . I never got your name." Jinx admitted. The man scowled.

"What you mean you didn't get my name? You just broke the early convo tension!"

"I don't like tension." Jinx said letting herself become amused by this chubby villain wannabe.

"Its Control Freak!" He shouted at her. He then screamed like a girl and ran from a jab shot she took at him.

"So what do you want Freak?" Jinx asked him while watching him nearly trip as he skidded to a stop.

"I'll ask the questions here!" he snarled at her. "Now," he said trying to look comfortable, leaning on a trash can. "What I wanna know is how you could give it up? They need us! They needed you! There is such shortage of talented AND cute villainesses." He screamed again and ran from another shot she took at him. Jinx figured she should probably not underestimate him and take him out with a Hexbolt but she was having a difficult time taking him seriously.

"Of the three attributes you just named you have the last one going for you. 'Villan-NESS," Jinx snickered.

"You're ruining my monologue," he grumbled.

"Yeah. Just skip to the point. You're running out of time." Jinx said. She grinned and her eyes flared pink.

"Fine," he said. "He removed something from his cloak. He turned it to face Jinx. It was a LCD screen and on it was bald women in shackles. The very image was enough to take Jinx's breath away. Control Freak enjoyed that.

After gaping for half a second Jinx turned her eyes from the screen and tried to play dumb.

"What's that? Your favorite porno theme?"

"Not unless I was into M.I.L.F. Come now Jinx. You know who this is. Time to tell me you'll do anything to have her returned to you safely."

Jinx turned and started to walk away.

"Oh, real cute. Your turning your back on you own mother," Control Freak sneered.

"Why not? She did the same to me," Jinx stated harshly.

Control Freak laughed. "You don't care? If you were really good, you would. Hell. Even if you're really still as rotten as I know you are, you'd still probably care. You know what we have to do to her if you won't comply."

Jinx stopped then. Her feet felt heavy. Her heart was sinking and the farther she was from that LCD screen the more despair swallowed her. Panic was roaring in her ears.

"What do you want? Robin's Belt? Cyborg's Blue prints? Starfire's panties?"

Control Freak mulled it over and wondered why the hell he hadn't thought of bargaining for all those things on his own. He sighed mentally and decided to stay on task.

"I want you're girlfriend." he said.

* * *

3 Days later. 

The loud cries of the Titan's alarm tore Raven from her dream state. She rushed out of bed and into the living quarters. There her friends were assembling.

"What's going down?" Cyborg asked.

"The vortex is back." Robin told them. Behind Robin, Raven could see that the sky was once agin red with black clouds.

"Sooooooo. Are we going to do what we did last time?" Beast Boy asked.

"Impossible. All of the magic users are missing." Robin said.

"What? Kidnapped? They left hiding but most of them are Titans. They would have called if the needed help. Some of them shouldn't have even needed help." Cyborg said.

"What about Jinx?" Raven asked becoming alarmed.

"Haven't heard from her." Robin told Raven.

Concearn washed over Raven but she didn't let it show.

"I think I can track them." Raven said. "If I concentrate hard enough . . . " Raven paused when she noticed everyone was staring at her in shock. "What is it?"

"Raven . . ." Starfire started but then just continued to stare at Raven's face.

"What?!" Raven snapped.

"The mark of Scath. It's on your forehead." Robin said.

"What?!" Raven screamed and ran towards the window to study her reflection. On her forehead was a glowing red "S."

"Dose that mean Trigon's back?"

Raven closed her eyes and swallowed. Could her father have really returned? The meer thought was devastating. But she didn't sense him.

"Or it means someone is using his power," Raven said standing. "Let's find the magic users. He apparently needs them. If we can take them away we know we can stall whatever he's planning."

And that became the plan. Raven couldn't locate the captives but she was able to locate an alien magic barrier which she figured held them.

* * *

"This is it! By time the Titans figure it out, the world will be rewritten. Evil will rule and more importantly I WILL BE COOL!" Control freak screamed. 

Mombo Jumbo ignored his chipper companion and watched as the shadowy man worked at the controls of a machine of foreign creation. This machine was channeling magic and manipulating it. It took certain potencies and discarded others. It was the Change Engine and Tribe was it's master.

"I don't care how much magic you pump into that thing, It would take and act of god to make you anything more than a nerd." Jinx told Control Freak.

"Then you just stand there and watch chick. My man Tribe here is a god."

"Well. I will be." The tall gentleman said.

"I'd rather not. I'd rather see you keep up your end of the bargain." Jinx said.

"Ah yes. Control Freak. Take her to her creator." Tribe said, then turned back to his machine.

"Alright toots let's go." Control Freak said and lead Jinx down the hall.

Control Freak opened the door to the cell. As soon as Jinx caught a glimpse of the woman, he shoved her in and locked the door. Jinx glared at him knowing this was there plan all a long.

Jinx said to the form she could barley make out from the shadows of the dark room. The figure moved it's head and now Jinx was looking into the eyes of her mother.

"You're not here to feed me are you?"

Startled by her voice Jinx seemed to loose her own. First she shook her head then realized to woman probably couldn't see her.

"Well what did they throw you in here for?" the woman asked. She strained to see her new cell mate in the dark.

"For being your daughter I think."

The shock hit Chamelia like a smack across the face. Some young thing in the room with here claimed to be her daughter. Could it be a cruel trick?

Tension was roaring in Jinx's ears. Her emotions were running amok. All mixing. There was expectation, disappointment, anger, and some insane desire to just to rush over there, embrace her mother and believe everything would somehow be OK.

"On the off chance that you are not an illusion sent in here to torment me, I guess I should explain myself. I won't bull s--t you. I did abandon you." she paused. That was actually more painful to admit that she had imagined but she decided to press on.

"It wasn't that I hated you. It was just that . . . " Another pause. "I don't hate you. But when you came along I was just going through the motions. Fall in love. Get married. Have children. But I didn't know what to do with you half the time. Even less when your father was executed."

Jinx became choked up and felt tears zipping down her face.

"So that's it? I'm just an accident? A pain in the ass?" Jinx said her voice was strained on every word. She had risked everything for this? It turned out to be about as bad as she had always assumed. She just simply wasn't wanted.

"Look. It's nothing personal and I'm not asking you to forgive me. You can hate me as much as you like. Maybe someday It'll actually be as much as I hate myself."

Jinx's heart retched. 'I'm a first class f--k up and now I see where I get it from. I gave up being a Titan for this s--t!'

After a moments thought Jinx marched over to the woman and grabbed her wrists.

"What are you doing?" her mother demanded to know.

"Picking the locks,"

"Why?"

"I donno," Jinx said with an airy voice. "But in my muddled, adolecent mind I think I should come away with something since I just gave everything up for you."

* * *

The abrupt sound of his doors being kicked in and slamming against the floor didn't take his attention away from the Change Engine. He listened and only grinned as Robin barked out questions and threats. 

"Why go down fighting? It's already over." Tribe said slowly turning to face his unwelcome guests. The Titans were all poised to attack. "Oh, very well. If we must." the large man hurled a sphere of neon energy, almost the size of Cyborg, in their direction.

"Mumbo Jumbo. Control Freak. Make use of yourselves. Fight the Titans for the final time."

The henchmen complied.

Imbued with magic control Freak was half as fast as Kid Flash which proved to be still awful damn fast. Though he had no combat skill, simply using himself as a projectile seemed to make him enough of a hassle. And when the Titans weren't trying to nail the chubby nerd, Mumbo Jumbo was assaulting them with magic arrows that had unpredictable effects such as the one that became a net when it hit Beast Boy or the one that turned into a pair of giant chopping teeth with wings and chased Starfire.

Raven stood silently with chaos erupting all around her and focused her eyes on the man working the Magic Engine. He wasn't Trigon. Thank Azarath for that, but who was he?

"Nothing you can do now Corbin." he said without turning to her.

She recognized the name Corbin which was latin for Raven.

"I'll pick up where my master and your father left off. I don't need you for that."

"Who are you?" Raven asked.

"I am Tribe." He said turning to her. "Trigon's apprentice."

Raven's eyes hardened. "You can carry on his current streak Tribe. Failure."

Raven didn't hold back. She summoned as much power as quickly as she could and launched it at the inter-dimensional demon. He turned and forcefully backhanded the wave of black magic and to her shock and awe it sped off into a wall. He then turned and waited for her next move. That move seemed to be staring slack jawed and and otherwise motionless. Tribe grinned and turned back to his machine.

"Oh he's an arrogant one." she said as she charged for him. She didn't like this plan. Magic aside he looked formidable but maybe if she got in close enough she could sneak in a good shot with her magic. Once she was close enough she tried to kick him and he moved to her side. She tried for a chop and thought she'd hit him with a magic claw but something plowed into her gut that knocked the wind out of her. It was his fist.

"Kitty has claws," she heard him say. She realized then that her Magic Talon was visible though rendered slack by her inability to concentrate. "Let me show you mine."

Tribe raised a fist. The tormented neon fuschia energy surrounded it and formed a clawed fist. In nanoseconds it doubled in size almost 20 times. It was now 24 feet in length. He brought the palm of it down on Raven's back. The force sent her through the floor where she plummeted into the darkness below.

She wasn't out for long. A familiar ringing was in her ears. It pinged every four seconds. It was a magic sent indicating that a magic user was near. She knew exactly who this one was. There was no mistaking it. but it was getting farther from her. Fading possibly.

"Jinx!" she cried shooting up into a sitting position. All around her was black. She could feel the rubble under her. She got to her feet and chased after Jinx. After several yards she came into a hallway with only one light still working. She caught a glimpse of pink disappearing into a corridor and resumed her chase. Was Jinx running from her?

When she did finally catch up, what she found served to only confuse her more. There was Jinx. She looked fine. No dying from some injury she didn't even want to imagine. Not bound in some kind of magic cell. She was just standing there with some bald woman seemingly trying to find the exit.

"Jinx," Raven said, relief was evident in her voice, but when Jinx turned to her with a startled expression Raven found the feeling wasn't mutual. Jinx stood there shocked.

"What's wrong?" Raven asked her.

Jinx continued to stare then looked puzzled herself.

"Oh," Jinx finally said having realized something.

"So you haven't figured it out yet? Must have bound you good with my spell."

Raven rose a brow and waited for elaboration.

"How did Tribe find the magic users? I lead him to each of them. Even helped him lower their guards." Jinx then waited for Raven's reaction. Raven continued to look puzzled.

"Don't you get it?! I betrayed you!" Jinx screamed at her. Raven could see tears building the bottoms of her large pink eyes.

"Did you know?" Raven said walking towards her lover. The bald woman watched the exchange with interest but remained silent.

"Yes!" Jinx said hating this. She wanted to be away now. It was over. They were enemies now.

"And why did you do that Jinx?" Raven asked.

"Because you were all wrong. I haven't changed. I'm just a selfish crook. I didn't care about them. I don't care about anything but what I want,"

"And that's it? You're damned? You think Being a hero is about caring about what everyone else wants? You think I give a damn about what anyone else wants?"

Jinx risked a look at Raven and stared at her with puzzlement.

"The magic users aren't dead. And you risked them to save you mother which wasn't right. . . . but was in the field of right. Heros aren't boy and girl-scouts. We make mistakes too. We get selfish, and closed minded at times."

Raven smacked Jinx on the back of the head.

"Ah! What was that for?"

"For giving up and trying to leave me."

"That's two things." Jinx said grinning.

"Don't tempt me." Raven said.

When the girls returned the the main floor they found that the Titans had managed to take out Mumbo Jumbo and Control Freak. Tribe was a different matter.

"So. Plan?" Jinx asked.

"The magic users. They are feeding his engine. Maybe if we remove them."

On the far side of the room was a magic barrier containing several people. All were in a sleep like state on the ground.

"He's not going make this easy."

"They never do," Jinx's mother said stalking between them to make her way towards Tribe. She chanted as she walked. Jinx and Raven watched her go with muted surprise. Then they split up and mad their way to the captives.

Jinx's mother finished her chant and a large part of the ceiling fell on Tribe as he was grappling with Cyborg. The heavy flat structure only snapped on the demon's head and fell to either side of him. He turned his bemused glance towards her.

"Not content to wait in your cell until you re-write you Chameli?" Tribe said. He raised his arms to summon but suddenly turned with speed of a predator and turned into a large red tiger. He pounced after his enemy's daughter who had nearly reached his battery supply.

"Gotcha!" He said pinning her and preparing to snap his large jaws on her head. A battering ram of black magic plowed into his side. It was just enough to shove him off Jinx and little else. He turned to Raven now.

The other Titans surrounded him.

"Copy cat." Beast Boy sneered at Tribe.

The red tiger swung a large paw and glowing man shaped figures appeared. They charged the Titans while tribe turned his attention back the battery. He set about wrapping it in more magic energy.

"You want them!" Tribe screamed with his arms high above his head. His skin was dazzled by the multicolored lights of his magic. "You won't get them. In minutes they will be completely drained and in your world I will have no equal!"

"Tribe no. Wait." Jinx's mother said meekly approaching him. "There must be something I can offer you in exchange for a place in your new world."

Jinx closed her eyes and turned away.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Jinx said.

"No. There is nothing. He said." Looking down at her and placing a hand before her face. "Your power is mine." A stream of purple smoke traveled from Chameli to his hand.

"No!" She cried and fell to her knees. Her act complete, she removed a dagger strapped to her thigh and jabbed it in his thigh. The deamon screamed, flailed back and kicked her with so much force that she traveled several yards until she crashed into the battery.

With the demon limping and struggling to recover, Robin assaulted. His kicks did little more than distract the demon from removing the blade burning in his thigh. Not being of this world granted him immunity to the majority of its elements. Chameli obviously had used a blade that transcended the realms.

One good back hand and Robin was sent sailing across the room. When Tribe turned back to finish off Chameli he was shocked to find his power fading.

"No. I'm too close. It can't be." But sure enough. Raven was assisting the captives to escape the cell. Tribe continued to fight anyway but it soon became pitiful. Alone there was no way he could recapture the magic users. He was only as powerful as Raven and very out numbered.

"That was . . . crazy!" Jinx said to her mother who rested on the floor nursing an aching cheek.

"But worth it." Chameli said.

"What are you going to do now mom?" Jinx asked.

"Return to prison as I can't escape your new friends in this condition. Then I'll get out and return to my life of disturbing the peace." Jinx looked at her quizzically.

"I do hope you will be happy my daughter." the woman said lifting into a sitting position. Once again Jinx was overcome by emotion and not knowing what else to do hugged the woman and sobbed.

Raven waited patiently to retrieve her girlfriend.

"Jinx." Raven said after Jinx walked up to her.

"My love," Jinx said.

"Are you ok?"

"Nah. But I'm in love with you."

The warmth returned to Raven's insides.

"I knew that, Raven said.

"Oh, so modest." Jinx said.

"Would you just kiss me already?"

"So pushy," Jinx pouted. "Not to mention impatient." Jinx said but Raven cut her off with kiss.

END


End file.
